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This  BOOK  may  be  kept  out  TWO  WEEKS 
ONLY,  and  is  subject  to  a  fine  of  FIVE 
CENTS  a  day  thereafter.  It  was  taken  out  on 
the  day  indicated  below: 


Joel  as  a  Detective. 


FACING  THE  WORLD 


OK 


The  Haps  and  Mishaps  of  Harry  Vane 


BY 

HORATIO  ALGER,  Jr. 

AUTHOR    OF   "RAGGED    DICK    SERIES, "    "  LUCK 
AND  PLUCK    SERD3S,"  ETC. 


THE  JOHN  C.  WINSTON  CO. 

PHILADELPHIA 
CHICAGO  TORONTO 


FAMOUS  ALGER  BOOKS. 


RAGGED  DICK  SERIES.  By  Horatio  Alger,  Jr.  6  vols.  12mo.  Cloth. 
Ragged  Dick.  Rough  and  Ready. 

Fame  and  Fortune.  Ben  the  Luggage  Boy. 

Mark  the  Match  Boy.  Rufus  and  Rose. 


TATTERED  TOM   SERIES. 

Cloth.    First  Series. 
Tattered  Tom. 
Paul  the  Peddler. 

TATTERED  TOM  SERIES. 

Julius. 

The  Young  Outlaw. 


By  Horatio  Alger,  Jr.    4  vols.    12mo. 

Phil  the  Fiddler. 
Slow  and  Sure. 

4  vols.    12mo.    Cloth.    Second  Series. 
Sam's  Chance. 
The  Telegraph  Boy. 


CAMPAIGN  SERIES.     By  Horatio  Alger,  Jr.    3  vols. 

Frank's  Campaign.  Charlie  Codman's  Cruise. 

Paul  Prescott's  Charge. 


LUCK  AND  PLUCK  SERIES. 

Cloth.    First  Series. 
Luck  and  Pluck. 
Sink  or  Swim. 

LUCK  AND  PLUCK  SERIES. 

Try  and  Trust. 
Bound  to  Rise. 

BRAVE  AND  BOLD  SERIES. 

Cloth. 

Brave  and  Bold. 
Jack's  Ward. 


By  Horatio  Alger,  Jr.  4  vols.  12mo. 

Strong  and  Steady. 
Strive  and  Succeed. 

4  vols.    12mo.    Cloth.    Second  Series. 
Risen  from  the  Ranks. 
Herbert  Carter's  Legacy. 

By  Horatio  Alger,  Jr.   4  vols.  12mo. 

Shifting  for  Himself. 
Wait  and  Hope. 


PACIFIC  SERIES.    By  Horatio  Alger,  Jr.    4  vols.    12mo. 
The  Young  Adventurer.  The  Young  Explorers. 

The  Young  Miner.  Ben's  Nugget. 


ATLANTIC  SERIES.     By  Horatio  Alger,  Jr.    4  vols. 

The  Young  Circus  Rider.  Hector's  Inheritance. 

Do  and  Dare.  Helping  Himself. 


WAY  TO  SUCCESS  SERIES. 

Cloth. 
Bob  Burton. 
The  Store  Boy. 


By  Horatio  Alger,  Jr.   4  vols.   12mo. 

Luke  Walton. 
Struggling  Upward. 

NEW  WORLD  SERIES.  By  Horatio  Alger,  Jr.  3  vols.  12mo.  Cloth. 
Digging  for  Gold.       Facing  the  World.       In  a  New  World. 

Other  Volumes  in  Preparation. 


Copyright,  1893,  by  Porter  &  Coates, 


CONTENTS. 


Cb 

A 


CHAPTER 

I.  Harry  Receives  a  Letter, 
II.  The  Stage-coach, 

III.  The  Danger  Signal, 

IV.  A  Good  Morning's  Work,  . 
V.  Harry's  Savings  Bank,    . 

VI.  Harry  Disagrees  With  His  Guardian 
VII.  Up  in  the  Attic,      .... 
VIII.  Mr.  Fox  is  Disappointed,   . 
IX.  Mrs.  Fox  Comes  to  Grief,     . 
X.  Joel  as  Detective, 
XI.  Mr.  Fox  Learns  Harry's  Secret, 
XII.  Harry  Becomes  a  Prisoner, 

XIII.  Harry  Escapes, 

XIV.  An  Exciting  Chase,     . 
XV.  The  Magician  of  Madagascar, 

XVI.  A  New  Engagement,  . 
XVII.  Harry  m  a  New  R6le,  . 
XVIII.  A  Liberal  Offer, 
XIX.  The  Passengers,       .... 
XX.  A  Cloud  ln  the  Sky,  i 
XXI.  The  Young  Sailor, 
iii 


PAGE 
1 

9 

18 

27 

35 

44 

53 

62 

71 

79 

88 

97 

106 

115 

124 

133 

141 

150 

159 

168 

177 


IV 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER 

XXII.  Harry's  Daring  Act, 

XXIII.  A  Sensational  Scene,  . 

XXIV.  A  Storm, 

XXV.  The  "Nantucket's"  Danger, 

XXVI.  "Who  Will  Stay?" 
XXVII.  The  End  of  the  Cruise, 
XXVIII.  The  Wreck  of  the  "  Nantucket," 
XXIX.  Preparing  a  Home, 
XXX.  An  Unexpected  Arrival, 
XXXI.  The  Last  of  the  "  Nantucket," 
XXXII.  The  Captain  Interferes, 

XXXIII.  The  Italian  Sailor,     .        . 

XXXIV.  Mr.  Clinton's  Terrible  Adventure 
XXXV.  A  Tragical  End, 

XXXVI.  Conclusion, 


PAGE 
186 

195 

204 
213 
222 
230 
239 
248 
257 
266 
275 
284 
293 
302 
809 


FACING  THE  WORLD; 

OR, 

THE  HAPS  AND  MISHAPS  OF  HARRY  VANE. 


CHAPTER  I. 

HARRY   RECEIVES   A   LETTER. 

'TTERE'S  a  letter  for  you,  Harry,"  said 
-J — L  George  Howard. 

"  Thank  you,  Georgie.  Where  did  you  get 
it?" 

"I  was  passing  the  hotel,  on  my  way  home 
from  school,  when  Abner  Potts  called  out  to 
me  from  the  piazza,  and  asked  me  to  bring  it 
to  you." 

The  speaker  was  a  bright,  round-faced  boy 
of  ten.  The  boy  whom  he  addressed  was  five 
or  six  years  older.  He  had  a  pleasant  face, 
but  it  was  a  strong  face,  also,  and  there  was 


2  FACING   THE   WORLD. 

an  air  of  firmness  and  resolution  which  indi- 
cated that  he  was  a  boy  who  knew  his  rights, 
and  knowing  dared  maintain  them.  He  was 
grave,  too,  but  this  was  not  his  ordinary  expres- 
sion. He  had  special  reason  to  look  sober, 
for  only  a  week  previous  he  had  lost  his  father, 
and  as  the  family  consisted  only  of  these  two, 
he  was  left,  so  far  as  near  relatives  were  con- 
cerned, alone  in  the  world. 

Immediately  after  the  funeral  he  had  been 
invited  home  by  Mr.  Benjamin  Howard,  a 
friend  of  his  father,  but  in  no  manner  con- 
nected with  him  by  ties  of  relationship. 

"  You  can  stay  here  as  long  as  you  like, 
Harry,"  said  Mr.  Howard  kindly.  "It  will 
take  you  some  time  to  form  your  plans,  per- 
haps, and  Gteorgie  will  be  glad  to  have  your 
company." 

"Thank  you,  Mr.  Howard,"  said  Harry 
gratefully.  "There  is  no  place  that  will  seem 
so  much  like  home  to  me,  but  I  am  old  enough 
to  work  at  some  business  directly." 

"  Shall  you  look  for  some  employment 
here?" 

"No,  my  father  has  a  second  cousin  in  Cole- 


HAERY    RECEIVES   A   LETTER.  3 

brook,  named  John  Fox.  Before  he  died  he 
advised  me  to  write  to  Mr.  Fox,  and  go  to  his 
house  if  I  should  receive  an  invitation." 

"  Do  you  know  anything  of  this  John  Fox  ? " 

"  No;  he  and  my  father  had  not  met  for 
many  years — in  fact,  since  they  were  both 
boys.  I  believe  there  had  been  no  communi- 
cation between  them  in  all  that  time.  He  is 
a  prosperous  man,  I  hear,  and  my  father 
thought  he  would  be  a  suitable  guardian." 

"  Where  does  he  live  ?  " 

"  InColebrook." 

"That  is  a  hundred  miles  away,"  said  Mr. 
Howard  thoughtfully. 

"So father  told  me." 

"  Have  you  written  to  Mr.  Fox?" 

"  I  shall  write  to-night." 

"Have  you  any  idea  how  your  father  was 
situated  as  regards  property?"  asked  Mr. 
Howard,  watching  Harry's  face  with  sympa- 
thetic interest. 

"  I  am  afraid  there  is  very  little  property." 

"You  are  right  there.  Your  father  had  in 
my  hands — he  placed  it  with  me  for  safe-keep- 
ing— three  hundred  dollars.     Then  there  is  the 


4  FACING   THE   WORLD. 

furniture,  which  it  will  be  best  to  sell.  I  sup- 
pose it  will  hardly  bring  more  than  enough  to 
defray  the  funeral  expenses." 

"  I  expected  that,  sir." 

"  So  that  you  inherit  but  three  hundred 
dollars  clear." 

"It  is  enough,  sir,  with  my  good  health  and 
strong  arms,"  said  Harry  calmly. 

"  You  are  not  afraid,  then,  to  begin  the 
world  on  this  small  provision?" 

"No,  sir,"  said  Harry,  with  calm  con- 
fidence. 

"Well,  I  applaud  your  courage,  Harry.  I 
think  myself  that  you  will  get  along." 

"I  ought  to  say  that  there  is  one  item  of 
property  besides,  Mr.  Howard." 

"What  is  that?" 

"Fifty  shares  in  a  Lake  Superior  copper 
mine." 

"Indeed!  I  had  not  heard  of  it,"  said  Mr. 
Howard,  showing  surprise. 

"My  father  gave  them  to  me  before  he 
died,  saying  that  they  were  probably  worth- 
less, and  not  worth  handing  over  to  my 
guardian.     He  advised  me  to  keep  them  my- 


HARRY   RECEIVES   A   LETTER.  5 

self,  and  if  ever  they  amounted  to  anything  to 
sell  them." 

"  How  long  has  he  owned  them? " 

"  Some  years,  I  think.  He  was  on  a  visit 
to  the  Western  country,  when  he  was  induced 
to  buy  them.  I  don't  think  the  mine  is 
worked  now." 

"  Still,  there  is  no  knowing  what  may  come 
of  it.  You  had  better  take  good  care  of  the 
shares." 

"  I  should  like  to  leave  them  with  you,  Mr. 
Howard.  I  don't  care  to  hand  them  to  Mr. 
Fox." 

"Just  as  you  please,  Harry.  Is  Mr.  Fox 
your  only  relative  \  "  he  continued. 

"There  may  be  an  exception,"  said  Harry. 
"  An  uncle  of  mine  disappeared  fifteen  years 
ago.  He  was  a  sea-faring  man,  and  when  last 
heard  from  he  was  the  mate  of  a  merchant 
vessel.  The  vessel  was  lost,  and  I  suppose  he 
was  lost  with  it,  but  we  never  could  find  out. 
You  know  my  father  was  an  Englishman  ? " 

"Yes,  I  know  that." 

"And  my  uncle  had  never  been  in  America, 
unless    he    touched    here    on    some    voyage. 


6  FACING  THE   WORLD. 

Father  came  to  this  country  when  lie  was 
twenty-five,  and  married  here." 

"  So  you  are  American  born,  Harry  ? " 

"I  consider  myself  an  American,"  said  the 
boy  proudly.  "Besides,  my  mother  was  an 
American." 

"And  this  Mr.  Fox— is  he  English  ?  " 

"  He  was  born  in  Liverpool,  but  was 
brought  here  when  he  was  about  the  age  of 
Georgie.' ' 

"  I  hope,  for  your  sake,  he  will  prove  a  good 
man.     What  is  his  business  ?  " 

"I  don't  know,  nor  did  my  father.  All  I 
know  is  that  he  is  considered  a  prosperous 
man." 

We  have  kept  the  reader  waiting  for  some 
time  in  ignorance  of  the  contents  of  Harry's 
letter.  The  delay,  however,  has  enabled  us  to 
understand  it  better.  It  was  enclosed  in  a 
brown  envelope,  and  ran  as  follows  : 

Harry  Vane  : 

I  have  receaved  your  letter,  saying  that  your  father 
wants  me  to  be  your  guardeen.  I  don't  know  as  I 
have  any  objections,  bein  a  business  man  it  will  come 
easy  to  me,  and  I  think  your  father  was  wise  to  seleck 
me.     I  am  reddy  to  receave  you  any  time.     You  will 


HARRY   RECEIVES   A   LETTER.  7 

come  to  Bolton  on  the  cars.  That  is  eight  miles  from 
here,  and  there  is  a  stage  that  meats  the  trane.  It 
wouldn't  do  you  any  harm  to  walk,  but  boys  aint  so 
active  as  they  were  in  my  young  days.  The  stage  fare 
is  fifty  cents,  which  I  shall  expect  you  to  pay  yourself, 
if  you  ride. 

There  is  one  thing  you  don't  say  anything  about — how 
much  proparty  your  pa  left.  I  hope  it  is  a  good  round 
sum,  and  I  will  take  good  care  of  it  for  you.  Ennybody 
round  here  will  tell  you  that  John  Fox  is  a  good  man  of 
business,  and  about  as  sharp  as  most  people.  Mrs.  Fox 
will  be  glad  to  see  you,  and  my  boy  Joel  will  be  glad  to 
have  someone  to  keep  him  kompany.  He  is  about  six- 
teen years  old.  You  don't  say  how  old  you  are,  but  from 
your  letter  I  surmise  that  you  are  as  much  as  that.  You 
will  find  a  happy  united  famerly,  consistin'  of  me  and 
my  wife,  Joel  and  his  sister  Sally.  Sally  is  foreteen, 
just  two  years  younger  than  Joel.  We  live  in  a  com- 
for'ble  way,  but  we  don't  gorge  ourselves  on  rich,  un- 
helthy  food.     No  more  at  present. 

Yours  to  command, 

John  Fox. 

Harry  smiled  more  than  once  as  he  read 
this  letter.  When  Mr.  Howard  came  in,  he 
handed  it  to  him. 

"Your  relative  isn't  strong  on  spelling," 
remarked  Mr.  Howard,  as  he  laid  the  letter 
on  the  table. 

"No,  sir;  but  he  appears  to  be  strong  on 
economy.     It  is   a  comfort  to   know  that    I 


8  FACING  THE   WORLD. 

shall   not  be    injured    by   'rich,    unhealthy 
food.'  " 

"  Do  you  think  from  the  letter  that  you  are 
likely  to  get  on  well  with  this  man  ? "  asked 
his  friend,  with  a  shade  of  anxiety. 

"I  don't  think  I  shall,"  answered  Harry 
quietly.  "He  must  be  a  great  contrast  to 
my  dear  father." 

"Undoubtedly.  Your  father  was  a  man  of 
education  and  refinement,  and  it  is  easy  to 
see  that  this  man  has  neither." 

"  I  will  give  him  a  fair  trial,  Mr.  Howard. 
I  won't  allow  myself  to  be  prejudiced  in  ad- 
vance." 

"That  is  right.  When  do  you  mean  to 
start  for  Colebrook  \  " 

"  To-morrow  morning.  I  have  been  looking 
at  a  railroad  guide,  and  I  find  it  will  bring 
me  to  Colebrook  in  time  for  supper." 

"  We  should  be  glad  to  have  you  stay  with 
us  as  long  as  possible,  Harry." 

"Thank  you,  Mr.  Howard,  I  don't  doubt 
that ;  but  the  struggle  of.  life  is  before  me, 
and  I  may  as  well  enter  upon  it  at  once." 


CHAPTER  II. 

THE   STAGE-COACH. 

AT  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  the  con- 
-Ljl_  ductor  of  the  train  on  which  Harry  was 
a  passenger  called  out  "Bolton." 

Harry  snatched  up  his  carpet-bag,  and  made 
his  way  to  the  door,  for  this  was  the  place 
where  he  was  to  take  the  stage  for  Colebrook. 

Two  other  passengers  got  out  at  the  same 
time.  One  was  an  elderly  man,  the  other  a 
young  man  of  twenty-five.  They  appeared  to 
be  father  and  son,  and,  as  Harry  learned  after- 
ward, they  were  engaged  in  farming. 

"  Any  passengers  for  Colebrook  V  inquired 
the  driver  of  an  old-fashioned  Concord  stage 
which  was  drawn  up  beside  the  platform. 

"There's  Obed  and  me,"  said  the  old  farmer. 
"  I  guess  we'd  rather  ride  than  foot  it,  though 
seventy-five  cents  is  pretty  steep  just  for  gittin' 
over  the  ground." 

9 


10  FACING   THE   WORLD. 

'"Taint  so  steep  as  the  hills  between  here 
and  Colebrook,"  said  the  driver,  chuckling. 
"  Still,  ef  you'd  rather  walk " 

"I'm  too  old  to  walk  ;  but  when  I  was  Obed's 
age  I  wouldn't  have  minded  it." 

"But  I  do,"  said  Obed.  "Time  is  more 
valuable  than  it  was  in  your  time,  dad." 

"That's  the  way  with  the  young  folks — 
they  are  all  for  spending." 

Harry  judged  from  the  old  farmer's  appear- 
ance that  he  was  not  in  the  habit  of  spending 
much  for  dress.     His  son  was  better  attired. 

"  May  I  ride  on  the  seat  with  you  % "  asked 
Harry  of  the  driver. 

"  Sartain.     Where  are  you  going  ? " 

"To  Colebrook." 

"  Then  this  is  your  team." 

Harry  climbed  up  with  a  boy's  activity,  and 
sat  down  on  the  broad  seat,  congratulating 
himself  that  he  would  have  a  chance  to  see 
the  country,  and  breathe  better  air  than  those 
confined  inside. 

"Jest  hold  on  to  the  reins,  while  I  ship 
some  freight  for  the  grocery  store,"  said  the 
driver. 


THE   STAGE-COACH.  11 

This  Harry  was  perfectly  willing  to  do, 
having  a  liking  for  horses. 

Soon  the  driver  sat  down  on  the  box  beside 
him,  and  started  the  horses. 

"You're  a  stranger,  aint  you?"  he  re- 
marked, with  an  inquisitive  glance  at  his 
young  travelling  companion. 

"  Yes  ;  I've  never  been  here  before." 

"  Where  do  you  come  from  \ " 

"  From  Ferguson." 

"Never  heard  of  the  place.  Where  is 
it?" 

"  About  ninety  miles  west  of  here." 

"  Sho  !  Do  you  intend  to  stay  long  in 
Colebrook?" 

"I  don't  know.  It  will  depend  on  howl 
like  it." 

"  Are  you  a  peddler,  or  travelling  salesman, 
or  anything  of  that  sort  %  " 

"No,"  answered  Harry,  smiling.  "I  may 
be  some  time,  but  I  am  afraid  I'm  too  young 
to  get  such  a  place." 

"  Well,  you  do  look  young.  I've  got  a  boy 
about  as  old  as  you  look." 

"lam  sixteen." 


12  FACING   THE    WORLD. 

"I  reckoned  about  that.  Are  you  goin'  to 
the  tavern? " 

"No  ;  I'm  going  to  the  house  of  Mr.  John 
Fox.     Do  you  know  him  ?  " 

"  Well,  I  should  smile.  I  reckon  every- 
body round  here  knows  John  Fox." 

"I  don't  know  him.  I  never  saw  him  in 
my  life." 

"  Are  you  goin'  to  board  with  him  ? " 

"Very  likely.     He  is  to  be  my  guardian." 

"Sho!  You'll  have  a  queer  guardeen. 
That's  all  I  say." 

"Why  queer? " 

"The  fact  is,  old  John' 11  cheat  you  out  of 
your  eye-teeth  ef  he  gets  a  chance.  He's 
about  the  sharpest  man  round." 

"He  can't  cheat  me  out  of  much,"  returned 
Harry,  not  especially  reassured  by  this  remark. 
"  What  is  the  business  of  Mr.  Fox  ?  " 

"  Well,  he's  got  some  land,  but  he  makes  his 
livin'  chiefly  by  tradin'  hosses,  auction eerin', 
and  such  like." 

"  I  suppose  he  is  well  off  ?  " 

"Well,  the  old  man  is  pretty  forehanded. 
He's  alius  gettin'  money  in  one  way  or  another, 


THE   STAGE-COACH.  13 

and  lie  don't  calc'late  to  spend  much.  They 
do  say  he  sets  about  as  mean  a  table  as  any 
in  Colebrook." 

"  That  isn't  very  encourgaging,"  said  Harry, 
"if  I'm  to  live  there." 

"  How  in  thunder  d'you  come  to  app'int  him 
your  guardeen  ? ' ' 

"My  father  died  recently,  and  Mr.  Fox  is 
about  the  only  relation  he  has  in  America." 

"Your  father  didn't  know  much  about  old 
John,  I  reckon? " 

"He  knew  nothing  about  him,  except  that 
he  lived  in  Colebrook,  and  was  pretty  well  off. 
What  sort  of  a  woman  is  Mrs.  Fox  %  " 

"  She's  a  good  match  for  the  old  man.  She's 
about  as  mean  as  he  is.  Once  a  year  the  Sewin' 
Circle  meets  there,  and  ray  wife  says — she's  a 
member,  you  know — that  of  all  the  dough  pies 
and  cake  that  she  ever  ate,  Mrs.  Fox's  will  take 
the  premium." 

"Mr.  Fox  wrote  me  that  he  had  two  chil- 
dren." 

"Yes,  there's  Joel — he's  about  your  age. 
He's  a  chip  of  the  old  block,  red-headed  and 
freckled,  just  like  the  old  man.    I  don't  be- 


14  FACING  THE   WOULD. 

lieve  Joel  ever  spent  a  cent  in  his  life.  He 
hangs  on  to  money  as  tight  as  ef  his  life  de- 
pended on't." 

' '  I  am  afraid  he  won' t  prove  a  very  agree- 
able companion  then." 

"He  aint  a  very  pop' lar  boy,  that's  a  fact. 
He  swapped  jackknives  with  my  boy  last  week. 
I  told  Jim  he'd  be  took  in,  and  he  was.  It's 
hard  to  git  ahead  of  Joel." 

"  There's  a  girl,  too,  isn't  there  ? " 

"Yes,  Sally." 

"  Is  she  pretty?" 

"She  looks  like  her  ma,  except  that  she's 
red-headed  like  her  pa.  She's  pretty  smart 
to  work,  but  she's  as  homely  as  they  make 
'em." 

"I'm  glad  to  know  something  of  the  family, 
but  I'm  afraid  I  shan't  enjoy  myself  very  much 
among  the  Foxes." 

"  You  aint  used  to  livin'  with  foxes,  then?" 
said  the  driver,  with  a  grin. 

"No,  nor  with  people  like  them.  By  the 
way,  who  are  the  two  other  passengers?  " 

"  Elias  Jones  and  his  son  Obed.  'Lias  is  a 
farmer,  and  pretty  well  off.     He's  got  a  good 


THE  STAGE-COACH.  15 

farm,  and  a  few  thousand  dollars  in  bank- 
stock.     Obed's  got  a  farm  too." 

"Are  they  anything  like  ray  friends,  the 
Foxes?" 

"  No,  they're  a  good  sight  better.  Old  'Lias 
don't  spend  money  foolishly — he's  a  careful 
man — but  he  isn'  t  mean.  Folks  in  his  house 
have  plenty  to  eat,  and  good  wholesome  food, 
too.  Then  he's  always  willin'  to  pay  his 
share  for  the  church  and  other  purposes." 

"  He  thought  seventy-five  cents  rather  high 
stage  fare?" 

"That's  only  his  joke.  He'd  rather  pay  a 
dollar  and  a  half  than  walk." 

"Mr.  Fox  wrote  me  that  he  thought  it 
wouldn't  do  me  any  harm  to  walk  from  Bolton 
to  Colebrook,  and  save  the  stage  fare." 

"Just  like  old  John.  He  grudges  me  my 
livin'." 

"  Does  he  ever  ride  with  you  himself  \ " 

"He  always  has  a  horse  of  his  own.  If  he 
hadn't  he'd  walk." 

"  I  think  I've  got  my  money's  worth  in  in- 
formation," said  Harry,  smiling.  "I'm  glad 
I  rode  on  the  box." 


16  FACING   THE   WORLD. 

"  You're  welcome  to  all  I  can  tell  you.  I'm 
sorry  you're  goin'  to  live  with  John  Fox, 
though." 

"  So  am  I,  after  what  you  have  told  me  As 
it  was  my  father's  wish,  I  shall  give  him  a  trial, 
but  I  shan't  stay  long  if  I  don't  like." 

"  You'll  soon  get  tired  of  your  new  home,  I 
reckon." 

With  such  conversation  Harry  beguiled  the 
way.  On  the  whole  he  enjoyed  the  ride. 
There  were  hills,  and  here  and  there  the  road 
ran  through  the  woods.  He  could  hear  the 
singing  of  birds,  and  notwithstanding  what  he 
had  heard  he  felt  in  good  spirits.  There  are 
times  when  the  young,  buoyed  by  hope,  fancy 
it  is  easy  to  conquer  the  world.  The  future 
looks  rose-colored,  and  success  seems  certain. 
Harry  was  in  such  a  mood.  He  was  coming  to 
an  uncongenial  home  and  among  sordid,  mean 
people,  but  he  did  not  care  for  that. 

"I  shan't  have  to  live  with  them  any  longer 
than  I  like,"  he  said  to  himself. 

It  is  well  that  youth  is  so  hopeful  and 
sanguine.  There  are  trials  and  difficulties 
enough  in   store  in  most  cases.      Hope  and 


THE   STAGE-COACH.  17 

courage  make  them  easier  to  meet,  and  easier 
to  overcome. 

At  length  the  stage  entered  the  village  of 
Colebrook.  It  was  a  village  of  moderate 
size — about  two  hundred  houses  being 
scattered  over  a  tract  half  a  mile  square. 
Occupying  a  central  position  was  the  tavern, 
a  square,  two-story  building,  with  a  piazza 
in  front  on  which  was  congregated  a  number 
of  villagers.  After  rapidly  scanning  them  the 
driver  said  : 

"Do  you  see  that  tall  man,  leanin'  against  a 
post?" 

"Yes." 

"That's  your  guardeen  !  That's  John  Fox 
himself,  as  large  as  life,  and  just  about  as 
homely." 


CHAPTER  IIL 

THE  DANGER   SIGNAL. 

THE'  man  pointed  out  to  Harry  as  his 
guardian  was  tall,  loosely  put  together, 
with  a  sharp,  thin  visage  surrounded  by  a 
thicket  of  dull  red  hair.  He  came  forward, 
as  Harry  jumped  to  the  ground  after  descend- 
ing from  his  elevated  perch,  and  said:  "I 
reckon  this  is  Harry  Vane  ? ' ' 

"  That  is  my  name,  sir." 

"Glad  to  see  you.  Just  take  your  traps, 
and  come  along  with  me.  Mis'  Fox  will  have 
supper  ready  by  the  time  we  come." 

Harry  was  not  on  the  whole  attracted  by 
the  appearance  of  his  guardian.  There  was  a 
crafty  look  about  the  eyes  of  Mr.  Fox,  which 
seemed  to  make  his  name  appropriate.  He 
surveyed  his  young  ward  critically. 

"  You're  pretty  well  grown,"  he  said. 

"Yes,  sir." 

18 


THE   DANGER   SIGNAL.  19 

"  And  look  stout  and  strong." 

"  I  believe  I  am  both." 

"My  boy  Joel  is  as  tall  as  you,  but  not  so 
hefty." 

"How  old  is  he,  Mr.  Fox?" 

"  Close  on  to  sixteen." 

"So  am  I." 

"  He's  goin'  to  be  tall  like  me.  He's  a  sharp 
boy,  Joel." 

"Perhaps  he  has  an  advantage  of  me  in 
that,"  said  Harry,  smiling. 

"  You  look  sharp  enough." 

"Thank  you." 

"  I  guess  you  can  wrastle  round  and  make  a 
livin'." 

"  I  hope  so." 

"By  the  way,  you  didn't  write  how  much 
property  your  father  left." 

"No,  I  didn't  think  of  it." 

"It's  really  important,  though;  as  your 
guardeen  I  ought  to  know." 

"After  the  funeral  bills  are  paid  I  presume 
there'll  be  about  three  hundred  dollars." 

Mr.  Fox  stopped  short  and  whistled. 

"  Sho  !  "  he  exclaimed,  "  is  that  all  ?  " 


20  FACING  THE   WORLD. 

"There  may  be  a  few  dollars  more." 

"  Well,  well,"  said  John  Fox,  in  evident 
disappointment,  "  I  thought  there' d  be  a  good 
deal  more — maybe  three  thousand  dollars." 

"Father  hadn't  much  talent  at  making 
money,"  said  Harry  soberly. 

"  I  should  say  not.  Why,  that  money  won' t 
last  you  no  time  at  all." 

"I  mean  to  make  it  last  a  good  while,  Mr. 
Fox." 

"How?" 

' '  I  am  old  enough  to  work  for  a  living. 
Isn't  there  something  I  can  find  to  do  in 
Colebrook?" 

"We'll  think  of  that,"  said  John  Fox,  sur- 
veying Harry's  strongly  knit,  though  boyish 
form,  thoughtfully.  "  Have  you  been  used  to 
horses? " 

"  Father  didn't  own  any  horses,  but  a  neigh- 
bor of  ours  did,  and  I've  taken  care  of  them  a 
week  at  a  time  when  his  son  was  away." 

"That's  good.  Boys  ought  to  know  about 
horses.  We  had  a  city  boy  down  here  last 
summer  who  was  afraid  of  horses.  He  didn't 
dare  to  go  into  the  stall  with  them." 


THE   DANGER   SIGNAL.  21 

"I  don't  think  you'll  find  me  afraid  of 
horses.     Do  you  keep  any  ?  " 

"I  mostly  have  two  or  three  on  hand.  I  do 
considerable  tradin'  horses." 

"  Does  your  son  like  horses  ?  " 

"  Well,  middlin'.  He's  used  to  drivin'  'em. 
He  aint  got  such  a  fancy  for  'em  as  I  have.  I 
tell  you  what,  Harry — that's  your  name,  isn't 
it?" 

"Yes,  sir." 

"I  guess  I  can  give  you  work  myself. 
There's  always  more  or  less  to  do  round  a  place. 
I  keep  a  man  part  of  the  time,  but  I  reckon  I 
can  let  him  go  and  take  you  on  instead.  You 
see  that  will  count  on  your  board,  and  you 
don't  want  to  spend  your  money  too  fast." 

"  How  much  are  you  willing  to  pay  me,  Mr. 
Fox?" 

"  We'll  settle  that  after  a  week,  when  I  see 
how  well  you  work,"  replied  Mr.  Fox  cau- 
tiously. 

"Very  well,  sir.  There's  only  one  thing  I 
will  stipulate  ;  I  will  wait  a  day  or  two  before 
going  to  work.  I  want  to  look  about  the  place 
a  little." 


22  FACING  THE   WORLD. 

"Just  as  you  say,  but  I'd  like  to  get  you 
started  as  soon  as  possible." 

While  this  conversation  was  going  on, 
they  had  traversed  a  considerable,  distance. 
A  little  distance  ahead  appeared  a  square 
house,  painted  yellow,  with  a  barn  a  little 
back  on  the  left,  and  two  old  wagons  alongside. 

"That's  my  house,"  said  John  Fox. 

"Is  it?" 

"  Yes,  it  was  the  old  Payson  place.  I  had 
a  mortgage  on  it  which  old  Caleb  Payson 
couldn't  pay,  so  I  took  possession  six  years 
ago." 

"  And  what  became  of  the  former  owner  ? " 

"Old  Caleb?  He  died  in  the  poor-house 
last  year." 

"  That  was  a  sad  fate." 

"Well,  he  had  enough  to  eat,  and  didn't 
want  for  nothin'.  I  made  a  pretty  good  bar- 
gain, for  the  place  was  worth  thirty  per  cent, 
more  than  the  face  of  the  mortgage.  Still,  as 
there  was  nobody  wanted  it  enough  to  bid 
more,  I  got  it  for  the  face  of  the  mortgage. 
There's  twenty  acres  belongs  to  it." 

"  It  seems  as  if  Mr.  Payson  ought  to  have 


THE  DANGEK  SIGNAL.  23 

received  the  full  value  of  the  place,"  said 
Harry,  thinking  with  pity  of  the  old  man  who 
had  to  leave  his  old  home  and  live  on  t;he 
town. 

"That's  a  very  unpractical  remark,  Harry 
Vane,"  said  John  Fox,  somewhat  contempt- 
uously. "  It  shows  you  aint  used  to  business. 
But  here's  Joel." 

Joel,  a  tall  boy,  in  figure  like  his  father,  here 
came  forward  and  eyed  Harry  with  sharp 
curiosity. 

"Joel,  this  is  Harry  Vane,  the  boy  I'm 
guardeen  of,"  introduced  his  father. 

"  How  are  ye?  "  said  Joel,  extending  a  red 
hand  covered  with  warts. 

"Pretty  well,  thank  you,"  said  Harry,  not 
much  attracted  to  his  new  acquaintance. 

"Here's  Sally,  too!"  said  John  Fox. 
"Sally,  this  is  my  ward,  Harry  Vane." 

Sally,  who  bore  a  striking  family  resem- 
blance to  her  father  and  brother,  giggled. 

"Don't  be  bashful,  Sally.  Shake  hands 
with  the  boy  !  " 

Sally  extended  her  hand  slyly,  and  giggled 
again. 


24  FACING  THE   WORLD. 

"I'll  leave  you  young  folks  to  get  ac- 
quainted, and  will  go  into  the  house,  and 
see  if  your  mother  has  got  supper  ready." 

"Aint  he  nice  lookin',"  said  Sally  in  an 
audible  aside  to  Joel. 

Harry  heard  the  remark  and  felt  uncomfort- 
able. It  was  nattering,  but  compliments  from 
a  girl  like  Sally  Fox  didn't  seem  to  affect  him. 

The  three  young  people  got  better  ac- 
quainted within  the  next  fifteen  minutes,  when 
they  were  called  to  supper,  but  I  have  a 
special  reason  for  postponing  any  immediate 
account  of  their  conference.  Mrs.  Fox,  to 
whom  Harry  was  introduced  at  the  supper 
table,  was  as  peculiar  in  her  appearance,  and 
as  destitute  of  beauty,  as  the  rest  of  the  family. 
She  was  prepared  to  be  very  attentive  to  Harry, 
but,  having  learned  from  her  husband  the 
amount  of  his  fortune,  thought  it  hardly  worth 
while  to  be  more  than  coldly  civil. 

The  next  day  Harry,  feeling,  it  must  be 
confessed,  rather  homesick,  declined  Joel's 
company,  and  took  an  extended  stroll  about 
the  town.     He  found  that,  though  the  railway 


THE   DANGER  SIGNAL.  25 

by  which  he  had  come  was  eight  miles  distant, 
there  was  another,  passing  within  a  mile  of 
the  village.  He  struck  upon  it,  and  before 
proceeding  far  made  a  startling  discovery. 
There  had  been  some  heavy  rains,  which  had 
washed  out  the  road  for  a  considerable  dis- 
tance, causing  the  track  to  give  way. 

"Gfood  Heavens!"  thought  Harry,  "if  a 
train  comes  over  the  road  before  this  is 
mended,  there'll  be  a  wreck  and  loss  of  life. 
What  can  I  do?" 

Just  across  the  field  stood  a  small  house. 
In  the  yard  the  week's  washing  was  hung  out. 
Among  the  articles  was  a  red  table-cloth. 

"May  I  borrow  that  table-cloth?"  asked 
Harry,  in  excitement,  of  a  woman  in  the  door- 
way. 

"  Land  sakes  !  what  for  ?"  she  asked. 

"  To  signal  the  train.  The  road's  washing 
away." 

"Yes,  yes  !  I'm  expec'tin'  my  darter  on  that 
train,"  answered  the  woman,  now  as  excited 
as  our  hero.  "Hurry  up!  the  train's  due  in 
fifteen  minutes." 

Seizing  the  table-cloth,  Harry  ran  back  to 


26  FACING  THE  WOELD. 

the  railroad,  and  hurrying  down  the  track 
west  of  a  curve  which  was  a  few  hundred  feet 
beyond  the  washout,  saw  the  train  coming  at 
full  speed. 

He  jumped  on  a  fence  skirting  the  tracks, 
and  waved  the  table-cloth  wildly. 

"Will  they  see  it?"  he  asked  himself 
anxiously. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

A   GOOD   MORNING'S   WORK. 

IT  was  an  anxious  moment  for  Harry  as  he 
stood  waving  the  danger  signal,  uncertain 
whether  it  would  attract  the  attention  of  the 
engineer.  It  did.  The  engineer,  though  not 
understanding  the  meaning  of  the  signal,  not 
knowing  indeed  but  it  might  be  a  boy's  freak, 
prudently  heeded  it,  and,  reversing  the  engine, 
stopped  the  train  within  a  short  distance  of 
the  place  of  danger. 

"Thank  God  ! "  exclaimed  Harry,  breathing 
a  deep  sigh  of  relief. 

The  engineer  alighted  from  the  train,  and 
when  he  looked  ahead  needed  no  explana- 
tion. 

"My  boy,"  he  said,  with  a  shudder,  "you 
have  saved  the  train." 

"  I  am  glad  of  it,  sir.  My  heart  was  in  my 
mouth,  lest  you  should  not  see  my  signal." 

27 


28  FACING   THE   WORLD. 

By  this  time  the  passengers,  whose  curiosity 
had  been  roused  by  the  sudden  halt,  began  to 
pour  out  of  the  cars. 

When  they  saw  the  wash-out  strong  men 
turned  pale  and  ladies  grew  faint,  while 
many  a  fervent  ejaculation  of  gratitude  was 
heard  at  the  wonderful  escape. 

"We  owe  our  lives  to  this  boy,"  said  the 
engineer.  "  It  was  he  who  stood  on  the  fence 
and  signalled  me.  We  owe  our  deliverance  to 
this— table-cloth." 

One  impressible  lady,  who  had  two  young 
children  with  her,  threw  her  arms  round 
Harry's  neck  and  kissed  him,  much  to  our 
hero's  embarrassment,  while  half  a  dozen 
gentlemen  shook  hands  with  him. 

A  small  man,  somewhat  portly,  pushed  his 
way  up  to  Harry. 

"  What  is  your  name,  my  lad  ?  "  he  asked 
brusquely. 

"Harry  Vane." 

"  Where  do  you  live  ?  " 

"  In  Colebrook,  at  present." 

"  When  did  you  discover  this  wash-out? " 

"  !N"ot  over  ten  minutes  since." 


A   GOOD   MORNING'S   WORK.  29 

"  And  where  did  you  get  your  signal  ?  " 

"In  the  yard  of  yonder  house,  sir." 

"You  have  shown  wonderful  promptness 
and  presence  of  mind.  Probably  you  don't 
know  me? " 

"No,  sir." 

"  I  am  the  president  and  leading  stock- 
holder of  the  road,  and  my  property  has  come 
very  near  being  the  death  of  me.  Gentle- 
men," here  the  president  turned  to  the  group 
of  gentlemen  around  him,  "don't  you  think 
this  boy  deserves  a  testimonial  ?  " 

"Yes,  yes!"  returned  the  gentlemen  in 
chorus. 

"  So  do  I,  and  I  lead  off  with  a  subscription 
of  twenty  dollars." 

"  Here's  another  twenty  !  " 

"  And  here's  ten  !  " 

"Here's  five!" 

So  one  after  another  followed  the  presi- 
dent's lead,  the  president  himself  making  the 
rounds  bare-headed,  and  gathering  the  con- 
tributions in  his  hat. 

"Oh,  sir!"  said  Harry,  as  soon  as  he 
understood  what  was  going  forward,  "don't 


30  FACING   THE   WORLD. 

reward  me  for  what  was  only  my  duty.  I 
should  be  ashamed  to  accept  anything  for  the 
little  I  have  done." 

"You  may  count  it  little  to  save  the  lives 
of  a  train  full  of  people,"  said  the  president 
dryly,  "but  we  set  a  slight  value  upon  our 
lives  and  limbs.     Are  you  rich?" 

"No,  sir." 

"  So  I  thought.  Well,  you  needn't  be 
ashamed  to  accept  a  little  testimonial  of  our 
gratitude." 

"Let  me  do  my  share,"  said  a  young  lady, 
as  she  dropped  a  bill  into  the  hat. 

"Certainly,  miss.  The  ladies  are  by  no 
means  to  be  slighted." 

When  all  so  disposed  had  contributed,  the 
president  handed  the  pile  of  bills  to  Harry. 

"  Take  them,  my  boy,"  he  said,  "  and  make 
good  use  of  them.  I  shall  owe  you  a  consider- 
able balance,  for  I  value  my  life  at  more  than 
twenty  dollars.  Here  is  my  card.  If  you 
ever  need  a  friend,  or  a  service,  call  on  me." 

Then  the  president  gave  directions  to  the 
engineer  to  run  back  to  the  preceding  station, 
where  there  was  a  telegraph  office  from  which 


A  GOOD   MORNING'S   WORK.  31 

messages  could  be  sent  in  both  directions  to 
warn  trains  of  the  wash-out. 

Though  it  has  taken  me  considerable  time 
to  narrate  this  incident,  the  time  consumed 
was  very  brief,  and  Harry  was  left  with  his 
hands  fall  of  money,  hardly  knowing  whether 
he  was  awake  or  dreaming. 

One  thing  seemed  to  him  only  fair — to  give 
the  owner  of  the  table-cloth  some  small  share 
of  the  money,  as  an  acknowledgment  for  the 
use  of  her  property. 

"Here,  madam,"  said  Harry,  when  he  had 
retraced  his  steps  to  the  house,  "is  your 
table-cloth,  for  which  I  am  much  obliged.  It 
saved  the  train." 

"Well,  I'm  thankful!  Little  did  I  ever 
think  a  table-cloth  would  do  so  much  good. 
Why,  it  only  cost  me  a  dollar  and  a  quarter." 

"Allow  me  to  ask  your  acceptance  of  this 
bill  to  pay  for  the  use  of  it." 

"Land  sakes  !  why,  you've  given  me  ten 
dollars  !  " 

"It's  all  right.  It  came  from  the  passen- 
gers.   They  gave  me  something  too." 

"  How  much  did  they  give  you  ? " 


32  FACING  THE  WORLD. 

"  I  don't  know  yet,"  answered  Harry,  think  - 
it  unwise  to  gratify  the  curiosity  of  the  good 
lady. 

"Did  they  say  this  money  was  for  me?" 
she  asked. 

"  No  ;  but  I  am  sure  they  would  think  you 
ought  to  have  it." 

"Well,  I'm  sure  I'm  very  much  obleeged. 
Ten  dollars!  Why,  I  haven't  had  so  much 
money  in  a  long  time." 

"  You  can  buy  a  new  table-cloth." 

"No,  I  won't;  the  old  one  will  do.  I'll 
buy  me  a  shawl  to  wear  Sundays.  I  haven't 
had  one  since  I  was  married.  You  didn't  tell 
me  your  name." 

"  My  name  is  Harry  Vane." 

"Do  you  live  round  here?  I  never  heerd 
the  name  afore." 

"I've  just  come  to  the  village.  I'm  going 
to  live  with  John  Fox." 

"You  don't  say!  Be  you  any  kin  to 
Fox?" 

"  Not  very  near.     He's  my  guardian." 

"  Sho  !  you  don't  say.  Well,  I  hope  you'll 
like  him." 


A   GOOD   MORNING'S   WORK.  33 

She  spoke  in  rather  a  dubious  tone.  Harry- 
smiled.  He  had  already  made  up  his  mind 
on  that  subject,  but  did  not  care  to  take  a 
stranger  into  his  confidence. 

"I  hope  so,"  he  said. 

"If  he  hears  you've  had  any  money  give 
you,  he'll  want  to  take  care  of  it  for  you." 

This  consideration  had  not  occurred  to 
Harry.  Indeed,  he  had  for  so  short  a  time 
been  the  possessor  of  the  money,  of  which  he 
did  not  know  the  amount,  that  this  was  not 
surprising. 

"  Well,  good-morning  !  "  he  said. 

"  Good-mornin'  !  It's  been  a  lucky  mornin' 
for  both  of  us.  Hadn't  you  better  see  how 
much  money  you've  got  ?  " 

"  Not  now.     I'm  in  a  hurry." 

Indeed,  Harry  had  some  curiosity  on  the 
subject  himself.  He  was  not  quite  sure 
whether  he  ought  to  have  accepted  money  for 
the  service  he  had  rendered,  but  then  the  pres- 
ident of  the  road  thought  it  right,  and  our 
hero  felt  in  his  own  case  that  he  would  have 
liked  to  do  something  for  a  person  who  had 
saved  his  life.  So  he  quieted  his  scruples, 
3 


34  PACING   THE  WORLD. 

and  determined  to  accept  thankfully  what 
had  been  showered  upon  him. 

"I  must  go  somewhere  where  I  can  count 
this  money  unobserved,"  he  said  to  himself. 

Not  far  away  he  saw  a  ruined  shed.  Near 
it  were  the  charred  remains  of  a  house  that 
had  been  consumed.  The  shed  had  not  been 
much  injured. 

Harry  entered  the  shed  and,  sitting  down  on 
a  log,  took  out  the  bills,  which  he  had  hur- 
riedly stuffed  in  his  pocket,  and  began  to 
count  them. 

It  is  not  necessary  to  detail  the  counting. 
The  sum  total  is  what  we  want  to  find  out. 
It  was  large  enough  to  amaze  and  gratify  him. 
Though  a  majority  of  the  bills  were  small, 
there  were  many  of  them,  and  the  aggregate 
sum  was  $289.50. 

The  fifty  cents  had  been  dropped  into  the 
hat  by  a  child. 

Had  Harry  retained  the  ten  dollars  given  to 
the  owner  of  the  table-cloth,  he  would  have 
had  within  fifty  cents  of  three  hundred  dollars. 


CHAPTER  V. 
harry's  savings  bank. 

"  ALMOST  three  hundred  dollars  !  "  murmured 
xl.  Harry  joyously.  "It  has  been,  indeed, 
a  lucky  morning  for  me.  It  has  nearly  doubled 
my  property." 

The  question  arose  in  his  mind,  "Should 
he  give  this  money  to  Mr.  Fox  to  keep  for 
him?" 

Had  his  guardian  been  a  man  like  Mr.  How- 
ard, he  would  have  had  no  hesitation  in  giving 
this  windfall  into  his  hands.  But  he  had 
formed  a  poor  opinion  of  John  Fox,  apart 
from  the  unfavorable  accounts  he  had  heard 
of  him,  and  was  beginning  to  be  sorry  he  had 
come  into  his  charge. 

"No,"  he  decided,  "I  won't  give  him  this 
money.  I  won't  even  let  him  know  I  have 
it."  Where,  then,  could  he  conceal  it?  He 
could  not  very  well  carry  it  about  with  him 

35 


36  FACING  THE   WORLD. 

all  the  time.  Moreover,  it  would  be  danger- 
ous. If  he  could  put  it  in  a  savings  bank, 
that  might  answer,  but  should  Mr.  Fox  learn 
that  he  had  a  deposit  anywhere,  he  might, 
as  guardian,  have  power  to  claim  it.  On  the 
whole  Harry  felt  puzzled  to  know  what  to  do 
with  his  suddenly  acquired  wealth. 

"I  wish  I  had  asked  the  president  of  the 
road  to  take  care  of  the  money  for  me/' 
thought  Harry.  "  It  would  have  been  safe  in 
his  hands." 

Still  undecided,  our  hero  walked  over  to  the 
ruined  house,  and  began  to  look  about  him. 
In  one  corner  he  noticed  a  little  leather-cov- 
ered, black  trunk,  not  more  than  a  foot  long, 
and  six  inches  deep,  which  was  apparently 
uninjured,  having  been  thrown  out  of  a  win- 
dow. It  was  locked,  but  a  small  key  was  in 
the  lock. 

An  idea  struck  him.  He  would  convert  this 
miniature  trunk  into  a  cash  box,  and  deposit 
his  wealth  therein.  He  could  no  doubt  con- 
ceal it  somewhere  afterward. 

Opening  the  trunk  he  found  it  empty.  The 
lock  seemed  in  good  condition.    He  made  a 


harry's  savings  bank.  37 

pile  of  the  bills,  and  deposited  them  in  this 
receptacle,  and  locked  the  trunk  and  put  the 
key  in  his  pocket. 

Now  for  a  place  of  concealment. 

Harry  came  out  of  the  shed,  and  looked 
scrutinizingiy  around  him.  Not  far  away 
was  a  sharp  elevation  surmounted  by  trees. 
Without  any  definite  idea,  Harry,  box  in 
hand,  ascended  the  elevation,  and  from  the  top 
had  an  extended  view  of  the  neighborhood. 
This,  however,  was  not  what  he  wanted.  The 
hill  was  of  a  gravelly  formation,  and  therefore 
dry.  At  one  point,  near  a  withered  tree,  our 
hero  detected  a  cavity,  made  either  by  acci- 
dent or  design.  Its  location  near  the  tree 
made  it  easy  to  discover. 

"  Why  not  hide  the  trunk  here?"  he  said 
to  himself. 

The  more  he  thought  of  it,  the  more  he 
liked  the  idea.  It  might  not  be  a  good  per- 
manent hiding-place,  but  it  would  do  till  he 
had  time  to  think  of  another. 

With  a  little  labor  he  enlarged  and  deep- 
ened the  hole,  till  he  could  easily  store  away 
the  box  in  its  recess,  and  then  covered  it  up 


38  FACING  THE   WORLD. 

carefully,  and  strewed  grass  and  leaves  over 
all  to  hide  the  traces  of  excavation. 

"  There,  that  will  do,"  he  said,  in  a  tone  of 
satisfaction.     "Let  Mr.  Fox  find  it  if  he  can." 

He  had  reserved  for  possible  need  fifteen 
dollars  in  small  bills,  which  he  put  into  his 
pocket-book.  He  had  been  reduced  to  a  sin- 
gle dollar  after  defraying  the  expenses  of  his 
journey,  but  now  he  felt  quite  in  funds. 
Having  no  further  business  on  the  hillock,  he 
descended  to  the  railway  and  took  his  way 
homeward,  without  passing  the  scene  of  the 
wash-out. 

Had  he  done  so,  he  would  have  found  his  re- 
spected guardian  with  his  son  Joel,  and  quite 
a  large  number  of  the  village  people,  on  the 
spot,  looking  curiously  about  them. 

John  Fox  had  heard  the  news  in  the  post- 
office,  and  had  started  off  at  once  for  the  scene 
of  danger.  He  had  a  keen  scent  for  possible 
advantage,  and  not  being  sure  when  he  started 
but  there  had  really  been  a  smash-up  (such 
was  the  erroneous  report  that  had  come  to  the 
village),  thought  it  possible  that  he  might  dis- 
cover something  thrown  away  by  the  terrified 


harry's  savings  bank.  39 

passengers  that  would  be  of  use  to  him.  I  am 
not  prepared  to  say  that  he  was  disappointed 
to  find  that  the  danger  had  been  averted,  but 
he  was  at  any  rate  sorry  that  he  was  not  likely 
to  be  repaid  for  his  journey. 

"How'd  they  hear  of  the  wash-out?"  he 
asked,  puzzled. 

"I  heerd  that  a  boy  discovered  it,  and 
signalled  the  train,"  said  his  neighbor. 

"A  boy!     What  boy?" 

"I  didn't  hear  tell." 

"How  did  he  do  it?" 

"Waved  a  shawl  or  somethin'.  The  engi- 
neer saw  it,  and  stopped  the  cars." 

John  Fox  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

"That  doesn't  seem  likely,"  was  his  com- 
ment. "Where  would  a  boy  find  a  shawl? 
He  didn't  wear  it,  did  he  ?  " 

His  informant  looked  puzzled. 

"Like  as  not  he  borrowed  it  of  Mrs.  Brock," 
he  suggested. 

Mrs.  Brock  was  the  woman  living  in  the 
small  house  near  by,  so  that  the  speaker's  sur- 
mise was  correct.  It  struck  John  Fox  as  pos- 
sible, and  he  said  so. 


40  FACING   THE   WOKLD. 

"  I  guess  I'll  go  and  ask  the  widder  Brock,' ' 
he  said.  "  She  must  have  seen  the  train, 
livin'  so  near  as  she  does." 

"I'll  go  along  with  you." 

The  two  men  soon  found  themselves  on  Mrs. 
Brock's  premises.  The  widow  was  out  in  the 
yard,  hanging  up  some  fresh  clothes  on  the 
line, 

"  Good-mornin',  Mrs.  Brock,"  said  John 
Fox.  "You've  come  nigh  havin'  a  causality 
here." 

This  was  doubtless  meant  for  casualty,  but 
Mr.  Fox  was  not  always  correct  in  his  lan- 
guage. 

"You're  right  there,  Mr.  Fox,"  answered 
Mrs.  Brock.  "  I  was  awful  skeered  about  it, 
for  I  thought  my  Nancy  might  be  on  the  train. 
When  the  boy  run  into  my  yard " 

"The  boy!  What  boy?"  asked  Fox 
eagerly.  It  was  the  same  question  he  had 
asked  before. 

"Land  sakes !  don't  you  know?"  asked 
Mrs.  Brock,  in  surprise. 

"How  should  I  know?  I've  only  just 
come." 


harry's  savings  bank.  41 

"  Why,  it  was  your  boy." 

"  My  boy  ?  I  left  Joel  at  home.  I  don't  see 
how  he  came  here." 

"It  wasn't  Joel.  It  was  that  boy  you  are 
guardeen  of." 

"  What  ?  Harry  Vane  ?"  ejaculated  Fox,  in 
genuine  surprise. 

' '  I  don' t  know  his  name.    He  didn'  t  tell  me. " 

"Tell  me  all  about  it,  Mrs.  Brock.  If  it 
was  my  ward,  I  want  to  know  all  that's  took 
place." 

"  Well,  you  see  he  ran  into  my  yard  all  out 
of  breath,  and  grabbin'  a  red  table-cloth  from 
the  line,  asked  me  if  I  would  lend  it  to  him. 
'Land's  sakes  ! '  says  I,  'what  do  you  want 
of  a  table-cloth?'  'The  track's  washed  away,' 
he  said,  '  and  I  want  to  signal  the  train. 
There's  danger  of  an  accident.'  Of  course  I 
let  him  have  it,  and  he  did  signal  the  train, 
standin'  on  the  fence,  and  wavin'  the  table- 
cloth.    So  the  train  was  saved  !  " 

"  And  did  he  bring  back  the  table-cloth  ?" 

"Of  course  he  did,  and  that  wasn't  all. 
He  brought  me  a  ten-dollar  bill  to  pay  for  the 
use  of  it." 


42  FACING   THE   WORLD. 

"Grave  you  a  ten-dollar  bill!"  exclaimed 
John  Fox  in  amazement.  "That  was  very 
wrong.  I  am  his  guardeen,  and  I  can't  allow 
him  to  waste  his  money  in  that  way." 

"You  needn't  trouble  yourself,  John  Fox," 
said  Mrs.  Brock  indignantly.  "You  hadn't 
no  claim  on  the  money,  if  you  are  his  guardeen. 
A  collection  was  took  up  by  the  passengers, 
and  given  to  the  boy,  and  he  thought  I  ought 
to  have  pay  for  the  use  of  the  table-cloth,  so 
he  gave  me  a  ten-dollar  bill — and  a  little  gen- 
tleman he  is,  too  !  " 

"  A  collection  taken  up  for  my  ward  ?"  re- 
peated Fox,  pricking  up  his  ears.  "Well, 
well !  that  is  news.  Do  you  know  how  much 
there  was?" 

"No,  he  didn't  tell  me." 

"I  must  look  into  this,"  continued  Fox, 
much  interested.  "  Do  you  think  there  was 
as  much  as  thirty  dollars?  " 

"Land's  sakes  !  how  should  I  know?  " 

"If  there  wasn't,  he  shouldn't  have  given 
you  so  much  money.  Ten  dollars  for  the  use 
of  an  old  table-cloth !  The  boy  must  be 
crazy  !  " 


harky's  savings  bank.  43 

"If  it  had  been  you,  I  wouldn't  have  got 
ten  cents,"  retorted  Mrs.  Brock. 

"A  quarter  would  have  paid  you  well, 
widder." 

"I  don't  want  any  of  your  quarters,  and  I 
hope  the  boy' 11  keep  his  money." 

But  John  Fox  was  already  on  his  way  back 
to  the  road.    He  was  anxious  to  find  his  ward. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

HARRY   DISAGREES   WITH   HIS   GUARDIAN. 

HARRY  and  his  guardian  met  at  the 
dinner-table.  Mrs.  Fox  had  provided 
a  boiled  dinner,  to  which  Harry  was  ready 
to  do  justice,  not  only  on  account  of  his 
long  forenoon  walk,  but  also  because  the 
breakfast,  taken  at  half  past  six,  had  not  been 
palatable.  He  gained  accordingly  in  the  good 
opinion  of  Mrs.  Fox,  who  had  decided  in  the 
morning  that  he  was  dainty  and  disdained  her 
humble  fare. 

Mr.  Fox  seemed  unusually  pleasant. 

"I  find,  Harry,"  he  said,  clearing  his 
throat,  "that  you  have  already  been  distin- 
guishing yourself." 

His  wife  and  son  both  looked  up  in  sur- 
prise. They  had  not  heard  of  the  wash-out, 
nor  of  Harry's  success  in  saving  the  railroad 
train. 

44 


HARRY  DISAGREES  WITH  HIS  GUARDIAN.     45 

"Then  you  heard  of  the  narrow  escape  of 
the  train  ? ' '  said  Harry. 

"Yes  ;  I  heard  that  but  for  your  presence 
of  mind,  and  Mrs.  Brock's  table-cloth,  there 
would  have  been  a  smash-up." 

"  What  on  earth  are  you  talkin'  about, 
John  Fox  ?"  demanded  his  wife  curiously. 

' '  Well,  you  see,  Maria,  the  rain  of  last  night 
washed  away  part  of  the  railroad  track,  and 
the  train  would  have  been  plunged  into  a 
gully,  if  our  young  boarder  here  hadn't  seen 
the  danger,  and,  borrowin'  a  table-cloth  from 
Mrs.  Brock,  signalled  the  train." 

"You  don't  say?  What  on  earth  was  the 
boy  doin'  out  that  way  ?  " 

"I  was  exploring  the  town,  Mrs.  Fox," 
answered  Harry  with  a  smile. 

"That  isn't  all,"  resumed  John  Fox. 
"  The  passengers  took  up  a  contribution,  and, 
I  expect,  gave  quite  a  handsome  sum  to  our 
young  friend." 

"I  wish  I'd  been  there!"  said  Joel  envi- 
ously. 

"Joel  is  never  in  luck !  "  said  his  mother, 
in  accents  of  regret. 


46  FACING  THE  WORLD. 

"If  I'd  only  known  there  was  goin'  to  be 
an  accident,"  complained  Joel. 

"I  didn't  know,"  Harry  felt  called  upon 
to  remark. 

"No,  it  was  your  luck!"  observed  Mrs. 
Fox  with  some  asperity.  She  was  a  woman 
who  was  jealous  of  any  good  fortune  falling 
to  those  outside  of  her  own  family  circle. 
She  would  have  had  all  the  rain  fall  on  her 
husband's  farm,  if  there  hadn't  been  enough 
to  "go  round."  She  felt  really  aggrieved 
that  Harry,  instead  of  Joel,  had  had  the  good 
luck  to  save  the  train. 

"How  much  did  the  folks  give  you?" 
asked  Joel  eagerly. 

"  I  was  about  to  ask  that  question  myself," 
said  his  father  smoothly. 

This  was  the  question  which  Harry  feared 
would  be  put  to  him.  He  hardly  knew 
what  to  say.  He  did  not  choose  to  give  an 
accurate  answer,  and  felt  justified  in  a  little 
evasion. 

"I've  got  fifteen  dollars  left,"  he  replied. 
"I  gave  some  money  to  Mrs.  Brock  for  the 
use  of  the  table-cloth." 


HARRY  DISAGREES  WITH  HIS  GUARDIAN.     47 

John  Fox  looked  disappointed  and  dis- 
gusted. 

"You  don't  mean  to  say,"  he  ejaculated 
sharply,  "that  you  gave  almost  half  of  your 
money  for  the  use  of  an  old  table-cloth  that 
would  be  dear  at  a  dollar  \ " 

"If  I  hadn't  had  the  table-cloth,  I  couldn't 
have  attracted  the  engineer's  attention,"  said 
Harry  mildly. 

"You  must  be  crazy  to  throw  away  money 
like  that,"  said  John  Fox  angrily.  "As 
your  guardeen  I  have  a  right  to  protest 
against  it." 

"  You  must  remember,  Mr.  Fox,"  said 
Harry  firmly,  "that  you  are  my  guardian  so 
far  as  the  money  left  me  by  my  father  goes. 
This  was  a  special  windfall." 

"I  should  say  you  needed  a  guardeen  if  you 
are  goin'  to  throw  away  money  in  that  style. 
Mrs.  Fox,  what  do  you  say  to  his  givin'  ten 
dollars  for  the  use  of  an  old  red  table-cloth? " 

"  I  say  that  I'd  sell  all  my  table-cloths  for 
that  money.  As  you  say,  the  boy  acted  like 
a  fool." 

"A  dollar  would  have    been  handsome — 


48  FACING   THE   WORLD. 

munificent,"  proceeded  Fox,  stumbling  a  little 
over  the  last  word. 

"  Ten  cents  would  have  been  enough,"  said 
Mrs.  Fox,  whom  her  best  friends  had  never 
credited  with  liberality. 

"And  you  might  have  given  me  the  rest  of 
the  ten  dollars,"  chimed  in  Joel. 

"To  be  sure!"  said  his  mother.  "You'd 
ought  to  have  thought  of  them  that  live  in  the 
same  house  with  you." 

"When  I  heard  you'd  given  ten  dollars  to 
the  widder  Brock,"  continued  Mr.  Fox,  "I 
concluded  of  course  that  you  must  have 
received  fifty  dollars." 

"Twenty-five  would  satisfy  me,"  said  Joel. 

"TO  be  sure,  but  railroad  accidents  don't 
come  every  day." 

"I  acted  according  to  my  judgment,"  said 
Harry  calmly. 

"Then  I  don't  think  much  of  your  judg- 
ment— that's  all  I  say,"  observed  Mrs.  Fox. 

There  was  a  little  more  conversation  on  the 
subject,  but  Harry  remained  tranquil,  and  did 
not  appear  disturbed  by  the  criticisms  elicited 
by  his  conduct.     He  heartily  hoped  that  his 


HARRY  DISAGREES  WITH  HIS  GUARDIAN.     49 

guardian's  family  would  not  find  out  how 
large  a  sum  lie  had  received. 

When  dinner  was  over  Harry  was  about  to 
leave  the  house,  when  John  Fox  said  insinu- 
atingly:  "Don't  you  think  you'd  better  give 
me  that  money  to  keep  for  you  ?  " 

"Thank  you,  Mr.  Fox,"  said  Harry,  "but 
I  think  I  can  take  care  of  it  myself." 

"Fifteen  dollars  is  a  good  deal  of  money 
for  a  boy  like  you  to  carry  round  with  you." 

"I  don't  think  I  shall  lose  it,  sir." 

"Perhaps  not,  but  you  will  be  tempted  to 
spend  it  wastefully." 

"I  don't  think  so,  sir.  I  am  not  rich 
enough  to  venture  to  waste  my  money." 

"I'm  sorry  you  don't  look  at  the  matter  in 
the  right  light,  Harry.  Allow  me  to  remind 
you  that  I  am  your  guardian." 

"Yes,  sir;  I  am  quite  aware  of  that  fact. 
The  little  property  that  my  father  left  me  will 
be  placed  in  your  hands." 

' '  Ahem  !  it  entitles  me  to  your  earnings, 
besides." 

"  I  don't  agree  with  you,  Mr.  Fox." 

"  I  am  considerable    older  than  you    are, 

4 


50  FACING  THE   WORLD. 

Harry,  and  you  can  trust  my  judgment. 
You'd  better  hand  me  the  money." 

"  I  must  decline  to  do  so,  Mr.  Fox.  I  will 
promise  you,  however,  to  take  good  care  of  it, 
and  not  waste  it." 

John  Fox  didn't  look  amiable.  He  was  in 
doubt  whether  he  might  not  prox>erly  take 
from  his  ward  the  money  by  force,  but  it 
occurred  to  him  that  it  would  be  better  not  to 
assert  his  authority  quite  so  soon. 

"We  will  speak  of  this  again,"  he  said. 
"Think  over  what  I  have  said,  and  you  will 
see  that  I  am  in  the  right." 

When  Harry  went  out  of  doors  Joel  fol- 
lowed him. 

"I  say,  Harry,"  he  began,  "you're  awful 
lucky." 

"  I  think  the  passengers  on  the  train  were 
awful  lucky,  as  you  express  it." 

"  I  wan't  thinkin'  of  them,"  remarked  Joel 
truly.  "I  say,  now  that  dad's  your  guardeen, 
that  makes  you  and  me  sort  of  brothers,  don't 
it?" 

"Well,  perhaps  so,"  answered  Harry, 
smiling. 


HARRY  DISAGREES  WITH  HIS  GUARDIAN.     51 

"  And  it  would  be  only  fair  for  you  to  give 
me  half  that  money  ?" 

Harry  eyed  curiously  Joel's  eager  face,  and 
noticed  the  cupidity  expressed  in  his  eyes. 
It  was  easy  to  see  that  Joel's  organ  of  acquisi- 
tiveness was  well  developed. 

"  Do  you  really  mean  that  ?  "  he  asked. 

"Of  course  I  do.  Brothers  ought  to  divide, 
hadn't  they?" 

"I  am  not  sure  about  that.  Have  you  got 
any  money? " 

"Yes,  I've  got  thirty-five  dollars  in  the  sav- 
ings bank.  It  took  me  an  awful  long  time  to 
save  it  up." 

"  Then  if  you'll  give  me  ten  dollars  of  that, 
we'll  each  have  twenty-five.  As  you  say, 
brothers  ought  to  divide." 

"Oh,  now,  you're  jokin'  !  "  exclaimed  Joel. 
"That  money  don't  count.  Come,  gimme 
five  dollars,  and  I'll  let  you  off  at  that." 

"I  would  rather  not,"  answered  Harry 
quietly.  "However,  I've  got  a  dollar  of  my 
own  besides,  and  I'll  give  you  that." 

He  took  the  dollar  bill  from  his  pocket-book 
and  handed  it    to  Joel,   who  seized    it  with 


52  FACING  THE   WORLD. 

avidity,  and  speculated  as  to  whether  he 
could  not  get  more  out  of  his  father's  ward 
after  a  while. 

"This  is  rather  a  peculiar  family,"  thought 
Harry.  "It  is  well  I  didn't  bring  all  my 
money  home.  I  wonder  how  soon  Mr.  Fox 
will  make  another  attempt  to  secure  the  sum 
I  have  with  me." 

The  attempt  was  made  that  same  night. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

UP  IN  THE  ATTIC. 

HARRY  was-  afraid  he  would  be  ex- 
pected to  occupy  the  same  room  with 
Joel,  in  which  case  he  could  hope  for  no 
privacy,  and  would  be  unable  to  conceal  his 
money,  which  he  had  little  doubt  his  guar- 
dian intended  to  secure,  either  by  fair  means 
or  foul.  It  chanced,  however,  that  Joel  slept 
in  a  small  bedroom  opening  out  of  his 
parents'  chamber.  So  Harry  was  assigned 
an  attic  room,  in  the  end  of  the  house,  the 
sides  sloping  down  to  the  eaves.  It  was  in- 
ferior to  the  chambers  on  the  second  floor, 
but  our  hero  was  not  disposed  to  complain. 
He  valued  solitude  more  than  superior 
finish. 

Harry's  suspicion  was  roused  by  the  circum- 
stance that  his  guardian  did  not  again  refer 
to  his  money,  nor  did  he  manifest  any  disap- 


54  PACING   THE   WORLD. 

pointment  at  his  ward's  declining  to  entrust 
him  with  it. 

"He  is  foxy,"  thought  Harry,  smiling  at 
the  well-worn  joke. 

During  the  evening,  Joel  brought  out  a 
back-gammon  board,  and  proposed  to  Harry 
to  play.  If  there  had  been  anything  to  read 
Harry  would  have  preferred  entertaining  him- 
self in  that  way,  but  Mr.  Fox  didn't  appear 
to  be  literary.  There  were  a  few  books  in 
the  house,  but  they  were  not  of  an  attractive 
character. 

"  Have  you  any  stories  in  the  house,  Joel  2 " 
asked  Harry,  after  looking  over  the  dreary 
assortment  of  volumes. 

"No,"  answered  Mrs.  Fox,  who  had  over- 
heard the  question.  "  I  don't  think  much  of 
story  books.  They  only  waste  time.  I  never 
let  Joel  read  stories." 

"  I  don't  want  to,  mam,"  said  Joel  dutifully. 

Joel  spoke  the  truth,  for  he  had  no  liking 
for  books  of  any  kind. 

"Did  your  pa  let  you  read  storybooks?" 
continued  Mrs.  Fox. 

"  Yes,"  answered  Harry  briefly. 


UP   IN   THE   ATTIC.  55 

"lam  surprised  to  hear  it,"  continued  the 
lady. 

Harry  did  not  reply.  He  did  not  think  it 
would  be  worth  while  to  get  into  an  argument 
with  Mrs.  Fox,  for  whose  judgment  he  had 
very  little  respect. 

"You  can  play  back-gammon  with  Joel," 
said  Mrs.  Fox,  "unless  you  want  to  read 
Baxter's  'Saints'  Rest,'  or  Dr.  Richardson's 
sermons." 

"I  think  I  will  play  back-gammon,"  said 
Harry. 

Partly  in  back-gammon,  partly  in  conversa- 
tion with  the  son  and  heir  of  the  Foxes,  the 
time  passed  till  half  past  eight  o'clock. 

"Joel,  you  can  go  to  bed,"  said  his  mother. 
"  It  is  half  past  eight." 

Joel  yawned,  and  interposed  no  objection. 

"You  may  as  well  go  too,  Henry,"  said 
Mrs.  Fox. 

"  My  name  is  Harry,  madam." 

"  I  shall  call  you  Henry.  I  consider  Harry 
a  foolish  nickname,"  said  the  lady  severely. 

Harry  smiled.  It  really  mattered  little  to 
him  what  Mr.  or  Mrs.  Fox  called  him. 


56  FACING  THE  WORLD. 

"Mrs.  Fox  is  right,"  said  his  guardian. 
"It's  good  for  a  boy  to  go  to  bed  early ;  ma 
and  I  go  to  bed  at  nine.  It  gives  us  a  good 
night's  rest.     Besides,  it  saves  candles." 

It  may  be  remarked  that  the  Fox  mansion 
was  illuminated  by  tallow  candles,  probably 
on  the  score  of  economy,  though  at  present 
kerosene  would  probably  be  cheaper  as  well 
as  more  satisfactory.  Every  few  minutes  it 
was  found  necessary  to  use  a  clumsy  pair  of 
snuffers,  such  as  some  of  my  readers  are  prob- 
ably familiar  with.  The  room  was  so  poorly 
lighted  that,  except  in  the  immediate  vicinity 
of  the  candle,  it  would  have  been  found  diffi- 
cult either  to  read  or  sew. 

"  I  am  ready  to  go  to  bed,  sir,"  said  Harry. 

In  fact  he  felt  rather  sleepy,  and  antici- 
pated little  pleasure  in  sitting  up  in  the  far 
from  exciting  company  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fox. 

"Joel,"  said  his  mother,  "take  this  candle 
and  show  Harry  upstairs  in  the  attic  cham- 
ber." 

"  Yes,  mam." 

So,  preceded  by  Joel,  Harry  went  up  two 
flights  of  stairs  to  the  attic  room  reserved  for 


UP   IN  THE   ATTIC.  57 

him.  It  was  the  only  room  that  had  been 
finished  off,  and  the  garret  outside  looked  dark 
and  forbidding. 

"  I  would  be  scared  to  sleep  up  here,"  said 
his  companion.  "If  you're  afraid,  I'll  ask 
mam  to  let  you  sleep  with  me." 

"I  shall  not  be  at  all  frightened,  Joel,"  said 
Harry  hastily.  "  Besides,  I  like  to  sleep 
alone." 

"I  thought  you  might  be  scared,"  said 
Joel. 

"  What  should  scare  me  %  " 

"I  don't  know,  but  it  seems  lonely  and 
dark." 

"There  is  no  danger.  If  burglars  break  into 
the  house,  they  will  visit  the  second  floor 
first." 

"I  guess  they  won't  come  here;  dad  keeps 
all  his  money  in  the  bank." 

"You've  got  a  dollar,  you  know,  Joel." 

"Don't  you  tell  dad!  He'd  take  it  away 
from  me,  and  I  want  to  keep  it.  I  might  want 
to  spend  it,  you  know." 

"I  won't  mention  it  if  you  don't  want  me 
to." 


58  FACING  THE   WORLD. 

"Good-night,  then.  Just  hold  the  candle 
while  I  go  downstairs." 

When  he  was  fairly  all  alone,  Harry  began 
to  look  about  him,  to  ascertain  in  what  kind 
of  quarters  he  was  to  pass  the  night.  To  be- 
gin with,  he  examined  the  door  to  find  out 
whether  there  was  any  way  of  locking  or  se- 
curing it.  He  ascertained  that  it  was  a  com- 
mon latch  door,  and  there  was  no  lock.  There 
was  nothing  to  prevent  anyone  entering  the 
room  during  the  night.  There  was  a  small 
cot  bed  in  one  corner,  a  chair  and  an  old 
wooden  chest,  which  probably  contained  arti- 
cles belonging  to  Mrs.  Fox,  perhaps  blankets 
or  bed-linen.  There  was  no  bureau  nor  wash- 
stand.  The  absence  of  the  latter  annoyed 
Harry.  He  had  always  been  in  the  habit  of 
washing  himself  as  soon  as  he  got  out  of  bed. 

"  Washing  doesn't  seem  to  be  provided  for 
in  this  house,"  thought  Harry. 

He  learned  afterward  that  he  was  expected 
to  go  downstairs  and  wash  in  a  large  tin 
basin  in  the  kitchen  sink — wiping  his  face  on 
a  brown  roll- towel  which  was  used  by  the  en- 
tire family.     This  was  quite  unsatisfactory  to 


UP   IN   THE   ATTIC.  59 

Harry,  who  was  scrupulously  neat  in  his 
tastes.  His  parents  had  always  encouraged 
this  trait  in  him,  but  it  was  very  evident  that 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fox  differed  in  many  respects 
from  the  father  and  mother  he  had  been  so 
unfortunate  in  losing  so  early. 

"This  isn't  a  palace  exactly,"  Harry  said 
to  himself,  as  he  surveyed  his  scantily  fur- 
nished chamber.  "Luckily,  the  bed,"  feel- 
ing of  it,  "seems  tolerably  comfortable.  If 
I  can  get  a  good  night's  rest,  I  won't  mind 
the  rest." 

Then  came  the  thought,  "  What  was  he  to 
do  with  his  money  1 "  Perhaps  he  was  unduly 
suspicious,  but  he  could  not  help  thinking  that 
after  he  was  asleep  Mr.  Fox  might  pay  him  a 
visit,  and  try  to  secure  by  stealth  what  he  had 
refused  to  give  up.  Now  Harry  was  deter- 
mined to  keep  his  money.  He  felt  that  he  had 
the  best  right  to  it,  and  that  Mr.  Fox,  though 
his  guardian,  had  no  claim  to  it.  Yet  how 
could  he  secure  it  ?  Should  he  put  it  in  his 
pocket,  he  was  convinced  that  this  would  be 
the  very  first  place  in  which  Mr.  Fox  would 
look.    If,  on  the  other  hand,  it  were  not  found 


60  FACING  THE    WORLD. 

in  his  pocket,  his  guardian  would  search  in 
every  other  place  that  he  could  think  of,  and 
probably  would  eventually  find  it. 

Now  it  so  happened  that  Harry  was  the  pos- 
sessor of  two  pocket-books — one,  shabby  and 
well-worn,  which  he  had  failed  to  throw  away 
on  buying  another  just  before  he  left  home.  In 
connection  with  this,  a  scheme  for  outwitting 
Mr.  Fox  came  into  his  mind.  He  folded  up  a 
fragment  of  newspaper,  and  put  it  into  the  old 
pocket-book,  bulging  it  out  till  it  looked  well 
filled,  and  this  he  left  in  the  pocket  of  his 
pantaloons. 

"Now  to  hide  the  other,"  said  he  to  him- 
self. 

He  looked  about  the  room,  seeking  for  some 
place  of  concealment.  Finally  he  noticed  in 
one  portion  of  the  floor  a  square  board  which 
looked  as  if  it  might  be  lifted.  He  stooped 
over,  and  succeeded  in  raising  it.  The  space 
beneath  was  about  a  foot  in  depth — the  lower 
level  being  the  lathing  and  plastering  of  the 
room  below. 

"That  will  do,"  said  Harry,  in  a  tone  of 
satisfaction.     "I don't  think  Mr.  Fox  will  find 


UP   IN   THE   ATTIC.  61 

my  money  here,"  and  dropping  the  pocket- 
book  into  the  cavity  he  replaced  the  square 
board.  Then  he  went  to  bed  and  awaited 
results. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

ME.    FOX  IS   DISAPPOINTED. 

WHEN  Harry  had  gone  up  to  his  bed  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Pox  naturally  began  to  com- 
pare notes  respecting  him. 

"  That  new  boy  rides  a  high  horse,"  said 
Mrs.  Fox  grimly. 

"  So  he  does,"  assented  her  husband. 

"  Are  you  going  to  allow  it  ? " 

"  Certainly  not." 

"He  has  had  his  own  way  pretty  much,  so 
far,  it  strikes  me." 

"  He  hasn't  found  out  what  kind  of  a  man 
John  Fox  is,"  remarked  her  husband,  with  an 
air  of  immense  determination. 

"I'm  afraid  he'll  have  a  bad  influence  on 
Joel." 

"No,  he  won't,  Mrs.  Fox;  I  mean  to  sub- 
due him.  I  mean  to  let  him  know  who  is 
master  here.     No  boy  shall  defy  John  Fox." 


ME.    FOX  IS   DISAPPOINTED.  63 

"He  wouldn't  give  up  his  money  to  you, 
though  you  are  his  guardeen." 

"  Very  true,  but  I  mean  to  have  it  all  the 
same.  There's  two  ways  of  doin'  things, 
Mrs.  Fox.  Of  course  I  might  have  taken  the 
money  from  him  by  violence,  but  I'd  rather 
get  it  by  strategy." 

"How  are  you  going  to  do  it?"  inquired 
his  wife,  with  some  interest. 

"I  shall  go  up  to  his  bedroom  after  he 
is  asleep,  and  then  it  will  be  the  easiest  thing 
in  the  world  to  take  the  pocket-book  without 
his  knowin'  it." 

"  He'll  know  it  in  the  niornin'." 

"Let  him  !  Possession  is  nine  pints  of  the 
law,  Mrs.  Fox." 

"He  might  say  you  stole  it." 

"He  can't  do  that,  for  I'm  his  guardeen, 
don't  you  see?  Oh,  I've  thought  it  all  over, 
Mrs.  Fox." 

"He'll  be  apt  to  make  a  fuss,"  said  the 
lady  thoughtfully. 

"What' 11  it  amount  to?  Makin'  a  fuss 
won't  bring  back  the  money.  What  do  you 
think  of  my  plan  ?  " 


64  FACING   THE   WORLD. 

"It  isn't  a  bad  one,  but  if  I  was  in  your 
place  I'd  take  it  from  him  by  main  force.  I 
would  have  no  shillyshally  business  about  it." 

John  Fox  looked  with  some  admiration  at 
his  wife. 

"You'd  ought  to  be  a  man,  Maria,"  he 
said.  "You're  bold  and  resolute,  and  aint 
af eared  of  anything." 

"Not  even  of  my  husband,"  added  Mrs. 
Fox,  with  elephantine  humor,  smiling  grimly. 

"  Well,  no ;  there  aint  no  call  for  you  to 
be  af  eared  of  the  partner  of  your  life.  But, 
Mrs.  F.,  there's  a  time  to  be  bold,  and  a 
time  to  be  Foxy,"  and  Mr.  Fox  smiled  in 
appreciation  of  the  well-worn  joke. 

"Well,  well,  I  shan't  interfere.  I  s'pose 
you  know  your  business  best.  All  I've  got 
to  say  is,  I  wouldn't  let  no  boy  boss  me." 

"  No  boy  shall  boss  me,  Mrs.  F.,"  re- 
sponded John  Fox  loftily.  "  My  ward  will 
find  that  he  must  obey  his  guardeen." 

"And  his  guardeen' s  wife,"  added  Mrs. 
Fox. 

"  Of  course,  I  shall  insist  upon  his  treating 
you  with  proper  respect,  Mrs.  Fox.     Still,  as 


MR.    FOX   IS   DISAPPOINTED.  65 

he  is  a  boy,  he  more  properly  comes  under 
my  control.  If  we  should  ever  take  a  girl  into 
the  family,  it  would  be  for  you  to  regulate 
her,  and  I  should  stand  aside  and  not  inter- 
fere." 

Mrs.  Fox  was  not  altogether  satisfied. 

"That  sounds  very  well,"  she  said,  "but 
I  want  it  understood  that  this  boy  hez  got 
to  observe  the  rules  and  regulations  of  this 
house,  and  I'm  the  one  that  makes  'em." 

"Oh,  there  won't  be  any  trouble  about  that, 
mam,"  said  John  Fox,  half  impatiently,  for 
he  was  quite  aware  that  his  wife  had  a  will  of 
her  own,  and,  though  he  called  himself  the 
master  of  the  house,  he  was  far  from  control- 
ling its  mistress. 

A  little  after  ten  Mr.  Fox,  considering  that 
Harry  must  be  sound  asleep,  decided  to  make 
him  a  visit.  He  removed  his  shoes,  and  in  his 
stocking  feet,  candle  in  hand,  began  to  ascend 
the  narrow  and  steep  staircase  which  led  to 
the  attic. 

"Shall  I  go  with  you,  John?"  queried  his 
helpmeet. 

"No,  I  guess  I  can  manage   to  carry  the 


66  FACING   THE   WORLD. 

boy's  pocket-book,"  responded  Mr.  Fox  sar- 
castically. 

"I  didn't  know  but  lie  might  resist  you," 
explained  Mrs.  Fox. 

"  Even  if  he  does,  I  guess  I  am  a  match  for 
a  boy  of  his  size." 

"Well,  have  your  own  way  then." 

"  My  own  way  is  best,  Mrs.  F." 

"  That's  what  you  always  say.  If  you  fail 
it  won't  be  my  fault." 

Mr.  Fox  certainly  did  seem  to  be  in  the 
right,  but  his  wife  wanted  to  share  in  the 
excitement  of  the  night  visit.  There  was 
something  alluring  in  the  thought  of  creeping 
upstairs,  and  removing,  by  stealth,  the  pocket- 
book  of  the  new  inmate  of  their  home. 

Left  to  himself,  Mr.  Fox  pursued  his  way 
up  the  attic  stairs.  They  creaked  a  little  un- 
der his  weight,  and,  much  to  his  annoyance, 
when  he  reached  the  landing  at  the  top  he 
coughed. 

"I  hope  the  boy  won't  hear  me,"  he  said  to 
himself. 

He  paused  an  instant,  then  softly  opened 
the  door  of  Harry's  chamber. 


K 


tf 


h 


fe 


MR.    FOX  IS   DISAPPOINTED.  67 

All  seemed  satisfactory.  Our  hero  was  ly- 
ing quietly  in  bed,  apparently  in  a  peaceful 
sleep.  Ordinarily,  he  would  have  been  fast 
asleep  by  this  time,  but  the  expectation  of  a 
visit  from  his  guardian  had  kept  him  awake 
beyond  his  usual  time.  He  had  heard  Mr. 
Fox  cough,  and  so,  even  before  the  door 
opened,  he  had  warning  of  the  visit. 

Harry  was  not  a  nervous  boy,  and  had  such 
command  of  himself  that,  even  when  Mr.  Fox 
bent  over,  and,  by  the  light  of  the  candle, 
examined  his  face,  he  never  stirred  nor 
winked,  though  he  very  much  wanted  to 
laugh. 

"All  is  safe!  The  boy  is  sound  asleep," 
whispered  Mr.  Fox  to  himself. 

He  set  the  candle  on  the  floor,  and  then  tak- 
ing up  Harry's  pantaloons,  thrust  his  hand 
into  the  pockets. 

The  very  first  pocket  contained  the  pocket- 
book  which  our  hero  had  put  there.  Mr.  Fox 
would  have  opened  and  examined  its  contents 
on  the  spot,  but  he  heard  a  cough  from  the 
bed,  and,  apprehending  that  his  ward  might 
wake  up,  quickly  put  the  pocket-book  into 


68  FACING  THE   WORLD. 

his  own  pocket,  and  taking  up  the  candle 
noiselessly  withdrew  from  the  chamber. 

After  he  was  fairly  gone,  Harry  had  a  quiet 
laugh  to  himself. 

"What  will  the  old  fellow  say  when  he 
finds  out  he  has  been  humbugged?"  said  he 
to  himself.     "  I  only  wish  I  could  be  present." 

Mr.  Fox  returned  in  triumph  to  his  own 
chamber,  where  his  wife  was  anxiously  wait- 
ing for  him. 

"Have  you  got  it,  Mr.  P.?"  she  asked 
eagerly. 

"Got  it?  Why  shouldn't  I  get  it?"  de- 
manded her  husband.  "What  I  undertake, 
Mrs.  F.,  I  generally  carry  through." 

"Oh,  yes;  you're  terrible  smart,  we  all 
know.  Well,  open  it,  and  let  us  see  what  it 
contains." 

"Don't  be  impatient,  Mrs.  F.,"  said  her 
husband  tantalizing] y.  "There's  plenty  of 
time,"  and  he  slowly  drew  out  the  pocket- 
book,  and  held  it  in  his  hand. 

"You  ought  to  let  me  have  half  the 
money,"  said   Mrs.   Fox. 

"Why  should  I?    You  seem  to  forget,  Mrs. 


MR.    FOX  IS   DISAPPOINTED.  69 

F.,  that  the  money  isn't  mine.  It  belongs  to 
my  ward,  and  it  is  my  duty  merely  to  take 
charge  of  it." 

"  I  can  take  charge  of  it  as  well  as  yon,  I 
reckon,  Mr.  Fox." 

"  Perhaps  you  can,  and  then  again  perhaps 
you  can't.    However,  I'll  open  the  wallet." 

This  Mr.  Fox  proceeded  to  do.  But  no 
sooner  did  his  glance  rest  on  the  contents 
than  his  lower  jaw  fell,  and  his  eyes  opened 
wide  in  perplexity. 

"  Well,  what  are  you  staring  at  like  a 
fool?"  demanded  his  wife,  who  was  not  so 
situated  that  she  could  see  the  contents  of 
the  pocket-book. 

"Look  at  this,  Mrs.  F.,"  said  her  husband 
in  a  hollow  voice.  "  There's  no  money  here — 
only  this  piece  of  newspaper." 

"  Well,  well,  of  all  the  fools  I  ever  saw 
you  are  about  the  most  stupid  !  "  ejaculated 
Mrs.  Fox.  "What  you  undertake  yon  gen- 
erally carry  through,  do  you  ?  After  all  the 
fuss,  you've  brought  down  a  pocket-book 
stuffed  with  waste  paper." 

"  I  don't  understand  it,"  said  Fox,  his  face 


70  FACING  THE   WORLD. 

assuming  a  look  of  perplexity.  "  Surely  the 
boy  told  the  truth  when  he  said  he  had  fifteen 
dollars." 

"Of  course!  Joel  saw  the  money — a  roll 
of  bills,  and  saw  him  take  them  out  of  his 
pocket-book.  He  must  have  taken  them  out. 
Did  you  search  all  his  pockets  ?  " 

"No;  when  I  found  the  pocket-book  I 
thought  I  was  all  right." 

"Just  like  a  man!"  retorted  Mrs.  Fox. 
"  I'll  go  up  myself,  and  see  if  I  can't  manage 
better  than  you." 

"Then  you'd  better  take  this  wallet,  and 
put  it  back  in  his  pocket." 

"  Give  it  to  me,  then." 

With  a  firm  step  Mrs.  Fox  took  the  candle, 
and  took  her  turn  in  going  up  the  attic  stairs. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

MRS.    FOX   COMES   TO   GEIEF. 

HARRY  confidently  anticipated  a  second 
visit  to  his  chamber.  He  concluded 
that  when  Mr.  Fox  examined  the  purloined 
pocket-book,  and  ascertained  the  worthless- 
ness  of  its  contents,  he  would  try  his  luck  a 
second  time.  He  therefore  lay  awake  and 
watchful. 

He  was  rather  surprised  when  the  door 
was  again  opened  and  Mrs.  Fox  entered. 
Opening  his  eyes  a  little  way,  he  saw  her, 
after  a  brief  glance  at  the  bed,  go  to  the 
chair  containing  his  pantaloons,  and  put 
back  the  deceptive  wallet.  She  was  about  to 
prosecute  a  further  search,  when  Harry  de- 
cided that  matters  had  gone  far  enough.  He 
did  not  fancy  their  night  visits,  and  meant 
to  stop  them  if  he  could. 

Chance  favored  his  design.     A  puff  of  air 

71 


72  FACING  THE  WORLD. 

from  the  door,  which  Mrs.  Fox  had  left  wide 
open,  extinguished  the  candle,  and  left  the 
room,  as  there  was  no  moon,  in  profound 
darkness. 

"  Drat  the  candle  !  "  he  heard  Mrs.  Fox  say. 

Then  a  mischievous  idea  came  to  Harry. 
In  his  native  village  lived  a  man  who  had 
passed  a  considerable  time  in  the  wild  regions 
beyond  the  Missouri  River,  and  had  mingled 
familiarly  with  the  Indians.  From  him 
Harry  had  learned  how%to  imitate  the  Indian 
war-whoop.  Some  of  my  readers  may  have 
heard  :uoh  an  imitation,  and  they  will  under- 
stand thr/u  it  is  rather  a  startling  sound,  espe- 
cially when  unexpected. 

"I'll  scare  the  old  lady,"  thought  Harry, 
smiling  to  himself. 

Immediately  there  rang  out  from  the  bed, 
in  the  darkness  and  silence,  a  terrific  war- 
whoop,  given  in  Harry's  most  effective  style. 

Mrs.  Fox  was  not  a  nervous  woman  ordi- 
narily, but  she  was  undeniably  frightened  at 
the  unexpected  sound. 

"Heavens  and  earth,  what's  that?"  she 
ejaculated,  and  dropping  our  hero's  clothes, 


MRS.    FOX   COMES   TO  GRIEF.  73 

retreated  in  disorder,  almost  tumbling  down- 
stairs in  her  precipitate  flight.  Dashing  into 
the  chamber  where  Mr.  Fox  was  waiting  for 
her,  she  sank  into  a  chair,  gasping  for  breath. 

"Good  gracious,  Maria,  what's  the  mat- 
ter?" exclaimed  her  husband,  gazing  at  her 
in  wonder. 

"I— don't— know,"  she  gasped. 

"You  look  as  if  you  had  seen  a  ghost." 

"I  haven't  seen  anything,"  said  his  wife, 
recovering  her  breath,  "but  I've  heard  some- 
thing terrible.  Didn't  you  hear  anything,  Mr. 
Fox?" 

"  No  ;  the  door  was  shut." 

"It's  my  belief  the  attic  is  haunted,"  said 
Mrs.  Fox  impressively. 

"Pooh,  nonsense  !  you  must  be  crazy." 

"It's  easy  enough  to  say  pooh  !  but  if  you 
had  been  in  the  room  you  wouldn't  feel  like 
saying  it." 

"Tell  me  all  about  it,"  said  her  husband, 
his  curiosity  aroused. 

"  I  went  upstairs  and  put  back  the  wallet," 
said  his  wife,  "and  was  looking  to  see  if  I 
could  find  another,  when  all  at  once  the  candle 


74  FACING  THE  WORLD. 

went  out,  and  a  terrible  noise  shook  the 
chamber." 

"  What  was  it  like,  Mrs.  P.? " 

"  I  can't  tell  you.  I  never  heard  anything 
like  it  before.  All  I  know  is,  I  wouldn't  go 
up  there  again  to-night  for  anything." 

11  It's  very  strange — I  can't  make  it  out. 
Did  the  boy  sleep  through  it  all?" 

"How  can  I  tell?  The  candle  was  out,  I 
tell  you." 

"  Perhaps  he  blew  it  out." 

"Perhaps  you're  a  fool,  Mr.  Fox.  It 
wasn't  near  the  bed,  and  he  was  fast  asleep, 
for  I  looked  at  him.  It  made  me  think  of — 
of  Peter,"  and  Mrs.  Fox  shuddered. 

Peter  had  been  taken  from  the  poor-house 
three  years  before  by  Mr.  Fox,  and  appren- 
ticed to  him  by  the  town  authorities.  Ac- 
cording to  popular  report  he  had  been 
cruelly  treated  and  insufficiently  fed,  until 
he  was  taken  sick,  and  had  died  in  the  very 
bedroom  where  Mrs.  Fox  had  been  so  fright- 
ened. This  may  explain  how  it  was  that  a 
woman  so  strong-minded  had  had  her  nerves 
so  easily  upset.     Though  her  conscience  was 


MKS.    FOX   COMES   TO   GRIEF.  75 

not  especially  sensitive,  occasionally  there 
passed  through  her  mind  unpleasant  thoughts 
of  the  poor  drudge  whose  life  she  and  her 
husband  had  contributed  to  make  miserable. 

"We  won't  talk  of  Peter,"  said  Mr.  Fox 
shortly,  for  to  him  also  the  subject  was  an 
unpleasant  one.  "I  suppose  you  didn't  find 
another  wallet." 

"No,  I  didn't.  You  can  order  the  boy  to 
give  it  up  to-morrow.  The  best  thing  to  do 
now,  is  to  go  to  bed  and  rest." 

The  breakfast  hour  at  the  house  of  Mr.  Fox 
was  half  past  six.  Harry  was  called  at  six, 
and  was  punctual  at  the  table.  Mr.  Fox 
cast  a  suspicious  glance  at  his  ward,  but  the 
boy  looked  so  perfectly  unconcerned  that  he 
acquitted  him  of  any  knowledge  of  the  night 
visit. 

"How  did  you  sleep,  Henry?"  asked  Mr. 
Fox. 

"Soundly,  thank  you,"  answered  Harry 
politely. 

"You  didn't  hear  any — strange  noises, 
then?" 

"No;  did  you?" 


76  FACING   THE   WORLD. 

"Ahem!  yes,  I  heard  a  peculiar  noise  not 
long  after  you  went  to  bed." 

"It  didn't  wake  me  up,"  said  Harry,  with 
truth. 

"  The  boy  must  sleep  sound,"  thought  Mrs. 
Fox,  "for  of  all  the  unearthly  screeching  I  ever 
heard,  that  was  the  worst." 

"Now,  Henry,"  said  Mr.  Fox,  after  break- 
fast, "  we  may  as  well  speak  of  our  future 
arrangements." 

"Very  well,  sir." 

"  I  take  it  that,  with  your  small  inheritance, 
you  will  prefer  to  earn  a  part  of  your  living  by 
labor?" 

"You  are  right  there,  sir." 

"I  have  considerable  to  do  on  my  twenty 
acres  of  land,  and  I  can  give  you  work  here." 

"What  compensation  do  you  offer,  sir  ? " 

"  Why,  you  see,  you  are  a  boy,  and  of  course 
a  boy  cannot  do  as  much  as  a  man." 

"  I  think  lean  do  as  much  as  some  men,  Mr. 
Fox." 

"Well,  if  you  could,  you  couldn't  get  the 
same  wages.  If  you  work  around  according  to 
my  directions  during  the  day,  you  can  have 


MRS.    FOX   COMES   TO   GRIEF.  77 

your  evenings  to  yourself,  and  I  will  consider 
it  in  your  board." 

"  I  should  like  to  have  you  tell  me  precisely 
what  you  will  allow  me,"  said  Harry,  whom 
this  speech  did  not  impress  with  a  very  high 
idea  of  Mr.  Fox's  liberality. 

"Asa  boarder  I  should  have  to  charge  you 
five  dollars  a  week  for  your  board,  and  fifty 
cents  extra  for  your  washing — that  would  go 
to  Mrs.  Fox,  as  well  as,  say,  twenty-five  cents  a 
week  for  your  mending.  That  also  would  go  to 
my  wife.  Now,  if  you  work  for  me,  I  will  take 
off  three  dollars,  making  the  charge  to  you  only 
two  dollars  and  seventy-five  cents  per  week." 

"Don't  yon  think,  Mr.  Fox,  that  is  rather 
low  pay  for  my  services  ?  I  can' t  afford  to  pay 
it.  It  would  use  up  my  small  inheritance  in 
about  two  years,  not  to  speak  of  my  outlay 
for  clothes." 

"I  might  say  two  dollars  and  a  quarter," 
said  Mr.  Fox,  deliberating. 

Harry  smiled  to  himself.  He  had  not  the 
slightest  idea  of  working  for  any  such  trifle, 
but  he  did  not  care  to  announce  his  determina- 
tion yet. 


78  FACING  THE   WORLD. 

"  I  will  pay  full  price  for  a  week,  Mr.  Fox," 
he  said,  "  and  during  that  time  I  will  consider 
your  offer." 

"  I  may  not  offer  you  as  favorable  terms  a 
week  from  now,"  said  Fox,  who  wanted  to  get 
his  ward  to  work  at  once. 

"  I  will  take  my  chance  of  it,  sir.  I  prefer 
to  have  a  few  days  of  freedom." 

"By  the  way,  Harry,  don't  you  think  you 
had  better  give  me  your  money  to  keep  %  You 
might  lose  it." 

1 '  You  are  very  kind,  Mr.  Fox,  but  I  am  not 
afraid  of  losing  it." 

After  breakfast  Harry  went  to  walk.  His 
steps  naturally  tended,  to  the  place  where  he 
had  left  the  greater  part  of  his  treasure.  It 
was  possible  that  he  had  been  seen  hiding  it, 
and  he  thought  on  the  whole  it  would  be  better 
to  find  another  place  of  concealment. 

"Joel,"  said  his  mother,  "follow  Henry, 
and  see  where  he  goes.  He  may  be  goin'  to 
hide  his  money.     But  don't  let  him  see  you," 

"All  right,  mam,  I'll  do  it.  I  wish  I  had 
followed  him  yesterday." 


CHAPTER  X. 

JOEL   AS  DETECTIVE. 

A  POSITION  as  detective  would  have 
suited  Joel.  Whatever  was  secret  or 
stealthy  had  a  charm  for  him.  He  liked  to 
pry  into  the  secrets  of  other  people,  and  had 
more  than  once  managed  to  overhear  conver- 
sations between  his  father  and  mother  which 
they  had  intended  to  keep  from  him. 

In  the  present  instance  he  managed  to 
shadow  Harry  very  successfully.  The  task 
was  made  easier  because  our  hero  had  no  idea 
that  anyone  was  following  him.  If  he  had 
turned  round,  he  might  have  caught  sight 
of  Joel  wriggling  along  in  such  a  way  as  to 
escape  notice. 

"  So  he's  goin'  to  the  railroad,"  said  Joel  to 
himself,  when  Harry's  direction  became  evi- 
dent. "  Wonder  if  he  expects  to  stop  another 
train.  If  he  does,  he'll  have  to  divide  with 
me." 


80  FACING   THE   WORLD. 

Arrived  at  the  railroad  track,  Harry's  course 
diverged  to  the  hillock,  at  the  top  of  which  he 
had  concealed  his  treasure. 

"What  in  the  world's  he  goin'  up  there 
for  % ' '  thought  Joel,  puzzled.  ' '  It  won' t  do  for 
me  to  f  oiler  him,  or  he'  11  see  me  and  smell  a  rat. ' ' 

Joel  posted  himself  at  a  point  where  he  had 
a  good  view  of  the  elevation,  and  could  see 
what  Harry  was  doing.  He  spied  on  general 
principles,  not  expecting  to  make  any  notable 
discovery.  When,  therefore,  he  saw  our  hero 
digging  at  a  particular  spot,  he  concluded 
that  he  was  going  to  hide  the  fifteen  dollars 
there.  What  was  his  surprise  and  delight 
when  he  saw  him  dig  up  and  expose  to  view  a 
large  roll  of  bills,  evidently  far  exceeding  in 
value  the  small  sum  which  had  excited  his 
cupidity ! 

"Oh,  cracky!"  ejaculated  Joel;  "there 
must  be  a  hundred  dollars  in  that  roll  of  bills. 
Wouldn't  dad  open  his  eyes  if  he  saw  it? 
Harry's  a  sly  one,  to  make  us  think  he  had 
only  fifteen  dollars.  If  I  don't  get  some  of  it, 
my  name  isn't  Joel  Fox." 

Unconscious  of  observation,  Harry  held  the 


JOEL   AS   DETECTIVE.  81 

money  in  his  hand  and  deliberated.  Should 
he  replace  it  in  the  hole  or  find  another  place 
of  concealment  ?  On  the  whole,  he  decided 
upon  the  latter.  He  reflected  that  someone 
.might  find  it,  and,  if  so,  there  would  be  small 
chance  of  his  recovering  it.  He  put  it  in  his 
pocket,  resolved  to  think  over  at  his  leisure 
its  ultimate  place  of  deposit. 

Now,  unfortunately  for  Joel,  just  at  this 
moment  he  slipped  from  his  perch  on  the 
branch  of  a  small  tree,  and  for  about  half  a 
minute  what  Harry  did  was  concealed  from 
him.  He  clambered  into  the  tree  again,  but 
only  to  see  Harry  filling  up  the  hole  again. 
This  was  done  so  as  to  avoid  exciting  the  curi- 
osity of  anyone  who  might  notice  that  the 
earth  had  been  disturbed. 

"He's  put  it  back,"  thought  Joel.  "Ho, 
ho !  maybe  he'll  find  it  there  when  he  comes 
to  look  for  it  next  time." 

He  didn't  want  Harry  to  catch  sight  of  him 
when  he  descended  from  the  hill,  and  accord- 
ingly scudded  away  sufficiently  far  to  escape 
suspicion,  yet  not  too  far  to  lose  sight  of 
Harry's  movements. 
6 


82  FACING  THE   WORLD. 

Five  minutes  later  Harry  descended  from 
the  hill,  and  bent  his  steps  toward  that  part 
of  the  railway  where  the  accident  had  oc- 
curred. Joel,  who  had  hastened  away  in  a 
different  direction,  went  back  to  the  hill  as 
soon  as  he  thought  it  would  be  safe,  and 
eagerly  ascended  it.  He  found  without  diffi- 
culty the  spot  where  Harry  had  been  digging. 
With  the  help  of  a  fragment  of  wood  which 
he  had  picked  up  below,  he  in  turn  begun  to 
dig — his  eyes  glistening  with  expectation  and 
cupidity. 

"If  I  find  the  money,"  he  said  to  himself, 
"I  won't  tell  dad.  If  I  did,  he  would  take  it 
all,  and  I  wouldn't  get  a  cent  of  it.  I  know  a 
better  way  than  that.  I'll  keep  it  all  myself, 
and  nobody  will  be  the  wiser.  Harry  won't 
know  who's  got  it,  and  he  won't  dare  to  make 
any  fuss.  Won't  I  feel  rich  with  a  hundred 
dollars!  I'll  save  it  all  up,  and  keep  it  till 
I'm  a  man." 

It  was  a  very  pretty  air  castle  that  Joel  was 
building,  and  the  thought  that  he  would  be 
virtually  stealing  money  belonging  to  another 
did  not  trouble  him  in  the  least.     His  con- 


JOEL   AS   DETECTIVE.  83 

science  was  not  remarkably  sensitive,  and  it 
only  struck  him  as  a  very  creditable  piece  of 
strategy. 

He  kept  digging,  but  gradually  became 
anxious,  as  the  expected  treasure  did  not 
show  itself. 

"I'm  sure  I  have  dug  deep  enough,"  he 
said  to  himself.  "  Can  I  have  got  the  wrong 
place?" 

But  no  !  there  was  little  doubt  of  that.  He 
had  watched  carefully  the  spot  when  Harry 
had  been  at  work.  Moreover,  the  ground  had 
not  been  disturbed  in  any  other  place  near  at 
hand. 

"He  must  have  took  the  money  when  I 
fell  from  the  tree,"  thought  Joel,  crestfallen. 
"He's  served  me  a  mean  trick.  Won't  I  tell 
dad,  though,  and  get  him  in  trouble  %  Oh, 
no!" 

Meanwhile  Harry,  not  knowing  how  nar- 
rowly he  had  escaped  being  robbed,  pursued 
his  way  to  the  railway.  He  had  his  money  in 
his  pocket,  but  he  began  to  feel  the  embar- 
rassment of  riches.  He  was  quite  at  a  loss  to 
know  what  to  do  with  it.     To  keep  it  by  him 


84  FACING  THE   WORLD. 

in  the  house  of  his  guardian  after  the  experi- 
ences of  the  previous  night  would  be  hazard- 
ous. Though  he  was  fully  resolved  to  defend 
his  property,  he  was  quite  aware  that  his 
guardian  was  stronger  than  himself,  and  could 
take  it  by  force  if  he  undertook  to  do  so. 

"If  I  were  only  in  my  own  home,"  he 
thought,  "I  would  ask  Mr.  Howard  to  take 
care  of  it  for  me.  Then  I  should  know  it  was 
all  right." 

But  Mr.  Howard  was  a  hundred  miles  away, 
and  that  arrangement  was  hardly  practicable. 

Then  he  thought  of  the  president  of  the 
railroad,  to  whom  he  was  principally  indebted 
for  the  money. 

"  If  I  could  only  see  him,"  he  thought,  "  I 
would  ask  him  to  take  care  of  it  for  me." 

What  was  his  surprise,  when,  on  reaching 
the  depot,  the  first  person  on  when  his  eyes 
fell  was  the  very  gentleman  of  whom  he  was 
thinking. 

"How  do  you  do,  sir?"  said  Harry 
politely. 

"Ah,  my  young  friend  that  saved  the 
train!"    said    the    president    cordially.      "I 


JOEL   AS   DETECTIVE.  85 

hope  you  haven't  spent  the  money  you  re- 
ceived on  riotous  living?" 

"My  living  has  been  far  from  riotous,"  an- 
swered Harry,  smiling.  "At  my  boarding- 
place  there  is  very  little  chance  of  my  falling 
a  victim  to  the  gout.  But,  sir,  I  have  a  favor 
to  ask  of  you." 

"  Very  well,  my  lad,  what  is  it  ? " 

"  Will  you  take  care  of  my  money  for  me  ? 
I  don't  want  to  spend  it,  and  I'm  afraid  of 
losing  it." 

"  How  much  have  you  ?  " 

"I  have  nearly  three  hundred  dollars.  I 
should  like  to  put  two  hundred  and  fifty  dol- 
lars into  your  hands." 

"  Suppose  I  should  take  a  sudden  flight  to 
Canada?"  said  the  president  jocosely. 

"  I  will  take  the  risk  of  that,  sir." 

"  Well,  my  boy,  if  you  really  desire  it,  I 
will  take  the  money." 

"  I  shall  regard  it  as  a  very  great  favor." 

No  sooner  said  than  done.  They  went  into 
the  depot,  and  Harry,  counting  out  two  hun- 
dred and  fifty  dollars,  passed  it  over  to  the 
president. 


86  FACING   THE   WORLD. 

"  I  will  give  you  a  receipt  for  it,"  said  the 
railroad  official. 

"  It  isn't  necessary,  sir." 

"  It  is  business,"  was  the  brief  reply. 

He  made  out  a  brief  receipt,  signing  it 
"Thomas  Conway,  President  of  the  Craven 
County  Railroad,"  and  Harry  pocketed  it 
with  a  feeling  of  relief. 

"  I  will  send  it  to  Mr.  Howard,  and  get  him 
to  keep  it  for  me,"  Harry  decided.  "  Then 
my  guardian  can't  get  on  the  track  of  it." 

While  he  was  standing  in  front  of  the  depot 
waiting  for  the  arrival  of  the  8.30  train,  Joel 
came  up. 

"  Goin'  a-travellin'  % "  asked  Joel,  with  a 
grin. 

"Not  this  morning." 

"I  wish  I  had  a  hundred  dollars  !"  con- 
tinued Joel,  surveying  Harry  sharply. 

"  Suppose  you  had,  what  then  ?  " 

"I'd  make  for  a  journey  out  West.  Say, 
Harry,  did  you  ever  have  a  hundred  dollars 
in  your  pocket  ?  " 

"Yes." 

"  Maybe  you've  got  it  now  % " 


JOEL  AS  DETECTIVE.  87 

"Where  should  I  get  it?"  demanded 
Harry,  eying  Joel  sharply  in  his  turn. 

"I  do' no.  Jest  empty  your  pockets,  and 
le'  me  see  how  much  you've  got." 

"Thank  you  ;  I  don't  see  any  use  in  it," 
said  Harry  coldly. 

"You  dassent ! " 

"Very  well!     Call  it  that." 

"Joel's  been  spying  upon  me.  He  must 
have  seen  me  on  the  hill,"  concluded  Harry. 
"It's  well  I  gave  most  of  my  money  to  Mr. 
Conway." 


CHAPTER  XL 

MR.  FOX   LEARNS   HARRY'S   SECRET. 

HARRY  had  acted  none  too  soon.  It 
happened  that  his  secret  had  been 
discovered  not  only  by  Joel,  but  by  Joel's 
father,  that  very  morning. 

Mr.  Fox  had  been  surprised  that  Harry 
had  received  so  little,  especially  when  he  con- 
sidered how  large  a  sum  he  had  given  to  Mrs. 
Brock.  Mentally  he  had  stigmatized  his  ward 
as  a  reckless  fool  to  part  with  so  large  a  pro- 
portion of  his  money.  Yet  he  had  never 
doubted  that  fifteen  dollars  was  all  that  Harry 
had  left,  and,  small  as  it  was,  he  was  eager  to 
get  it  into  his  hands,  as  we  already  know. 

About  ten  o'clock  Mr.  Fox  had  occasion  to 
go  to  the  village.  In  the  post-office  he  met  an 
acquaintance  from  a  neighboring  town,  with 
whom  he  passed  the  usual  compliments. 

"  By  the  way,  Fox,"  said  his  friend,  "  I  had 
a  narrow  escape  the  other  day." 


1 

MR.    FOX  LEARNS   KARRY'S   SECRET.  89 

"  What  was  it,  Pearson  ? " 

"Came  near  being  smashed  up  on  the  rail- 
road." 

"Where?" 

"Here,  down  by  your  depot.  Didn't  you 
hear  of  the  wash-out  ?  " 

"  Yes.     Were  you  on  the  train  ? " 

"  I  was.  There  would  have  been  an  end  of 
us,  but  for  a  brave  boy  who  signalled  the  train 
in  time." 

''That  boy  was  my  ward,"  said  John  Fox 
complacently. 

"  You  don't  say  so  !  Well,  he  was  a  lucky 
chap." 

"  I  don't  think  so.  He  didn't  get  much  for 
his  bravery.  On  my  word,  I  think  he  was 
meanly  treated." 

"I  don't  see  how  you  can  say  that.  How 
much  money  did  he  get  %  " 

"  Twenty-five  dollars,  and  of  that  he  gave 
ten  to  the  woman  whose  table-cloth  he  bor- 
rowed." 

"There's  some  mistake  about  that.  There 
must  have  been  forty  or  fifty  bills  put  into 
his  hands,  and  I  know  that  there  were   two 


90  FACING   THE   WORLD. 

ten  dollar  bills  among  them.  I  myself  gave 
two  dollars." 

"Is  this  true?"  ejaculated  Fox  in  amaze- 
ment. 

"  Just  as  true  as  I'm  standing  here.  If  there 
wasn't  two  or  three  hundred  dollars  I'll  eat 
my  head." 

"The  artful  young  rascal !  "  exclaimed  Fox, 
in  virtuous  indignation.  "He  told  me  he  had 
only  fifteen  dollars  left  after  what  he  gave  to 
Mrs.  Brock." 

"  Perhaps  he  thought  you  would  take  it 
from  him.  The  boy  was  smart,"  said  Pear- 
son, laughing. 

"  You  call  it  smart !  I  call  it  base  and  treach- 
erous !  "  said  John  Fox,  very  much  excited. 

"Did  he  give  you  the  fifteen  dollars ? " 

"No,  he  didn't.  He  wanted  to  keep  it  him- 
self.    As  it  was  a  small  sum,  I  let  him  do  it." 

Mr.  Fox  was  silent  as  to  the  character  of  the 
efforts  he  made  to  secure  the  money. 

"After  all,  the  money  belonged  to  the  boy, 
Fox." 

"  I  don't  agree  with  you.  Aint  I  his  guar- 
deen,  I'd  like  to  know  ? " 


MR.    FOX   LEARNS   HARRY'S   SECRET.         91 

"I  won't  deny  it,  though  I  don't  know 
anything  about  it.  I'll  take  your  word 
for  it." 

"  Then  of  course  I'm  entitled  to  his  money," 
continued  Mr.  Fox. 

"To  what  money  was  left  him,  I  admit; 
that  is,  to  keep  in  trust  for  him.  But  this 
money  was  different." 

"  No  difference  at  all !  As  his  guardeen  it's 
my  duty  to  take  it  from  him,  and  not  let 
him  spend  it  foolishly,  as  I've  no  doubt  he 
would." 

"  He  must  have  hidden  it  somewhere." 

"I'll  find  it,  wherever  it  is.  If  that  boy  ex- 
pects to  outwit  John  Fox,  he's  got  to  get  up 
pretty  early  in  the  morning." 

' '  Have  you  received  the  appointment  as  his 
guardian  ? " 

"Well,  no,  not  yet ;  but  I  was  his  father's 
choice,  and  of  course  there  won' t  be  any  oppo- 
sition." 

"How  old  is  the  boy?" 

"  About  fifteen  or  sixteen." 

"He  might  make  a  different  choice.  The 
law  would  allow  it  in  a  boy  of  his  age." 


92  FACING   THE   WORLD. 

"Don't  you  go  to  putting  that  into  his 
head,"  said  Mr.  Fox  uneasily. 

"  I  am  not  likely  to  see  him.  Did  his  father 
know  you?" 

"  Well,  no  ;  we  never  met." 

"  That  explains  it." 

"Explains  what?"  demanded  Fox  sus- 
piciously. 

"  Oh,  nothing  particular,"  answered  Pearson 
evasively. 

Mr.  Fox  suspected  that  he  meant  something 
uncomplimentary,  but  did  not  push  the  ques- 
tion. 

"Of  all  the  artful  boys,"  said  Fox  to  him- 
self, "  this  boy  Harry  takes  the  cake.  But  it 
won't  do  him  any  good.  He'll  find  that  John 
Fox  is  a  match  for  him." 

Mr.  Fox.  walked  thoughtfully  away.  He 
was  considering  how  he  should  get  hold  of  his 
ward's  money.  It  was  not  a  question  easy  to 
answer.  Evidently  Harry  was  a  boy  who  kept 
his  own  counsel,  and  knew  how  to  take  care  of 
himself. 

As  Mr.  Fox  was  walking  up  the  road  he 
fell  in  with  Joel. 


ME.    FOX   LEARNS   HARRY' S   SECRET.  93 

"  Where'  ve  you  been,  Joel  ?"  he  asked. 

"Follerin'  Harry,  as  mam  told  me  to." 

"  So  she  did.     Well,  where  did  he  go  ? " 

"  To  the  top  of  the  hill,  about  five  minutes' 
walk  from  the  depot." 

"  What  did  he  do  there  ?" 

"  What' 11  you  give  to  know,  dad  ?  " 

"No  foolin'  with  your  father,  Joel.  Tell 
me  right  away." 

"I've  found  out  something,  dad ;  something 
that'll  s' prise  you." 

"  I  don't  know  about  that.  I've  found  out 
something  myself." 

"This  is  something  important — awful  im- 
portant. What  do  you  think  he  did  upon  the 
hill?" 

"Hid  his  money?"  suggested  Mr.  Fox. 

"  You're  mighty  near,  but  you  aint 
right.  He  dug  it  up.  It  was  hid  there  al- 
ready." 

"  Did  you  see  it  ?  How  much  was  there  ?  " 
asked  Fox  eagerly. 

"  There  was  a  big  roll  of  bills.  There  must 
have  been  over  a  hundred  dollars." 

Joel  expected  his  father  to  exhibit  astonish- 


94  FACING   THE   WORLD. 

ment,  but  in  this  lie  was  disappointed.     Mr. 
Fox  nodded  in  a  satisfied  way. 

"  Then  that  story  that  Pearson  told  me  was 
correct,"  he  said. 

"  What  did  he  tell  you?" 

"  He  said  there  was  a  big  collection  made 
for  the  boy  by  the  passengers  ;  that  it  must 
have  amounted  to  two  hundred  dollars  or 
more." 

Joel  whistled. 

"I  guess  it's  so,"  he  replied.  "  There  was 
a  big  roll  of  bills  he  took  out  of  a  hole  in  the 
ground." 

"  What  did  he  do  with  it  ?" 

"  Put  it  in  his  pocket." 

"That's  good.  Then  he's  got  it  with  him 
now  ;   eh,  Joel  ?  " 

"Yes,  dad." 

"That  suits  me.  Joel,  I  must  have  that 
money." 

"  Will  you  give  me  some,  dad  ?  " 

"  What  should  I  give  you  any  for,  I'd  like 
to  know  ?" 

"  Because  I  told  you." 

"  You  told  me  what  I  knew  before.    Besides 


ME.    FOX  LEAENS   HAEEY'S   SECEET  95 

the  money  won't  be  mine.  I'm  to  take  care 
of  it  as  his  guardeen." 

"I  wish  I  was  somebody's  guardeen,"  said 
Joel. 

"It  wouldn't  do  much  good.  It's  more 
bother  than  it's  worth." 

"Then,  why  don't  you  give  it  up,  dad?" 
asked  Joel  shrewdly. 

"  P'r'haps  I  will  some  time." 

"  After  Harry's  money  is  all  gone,"  thought 
Joel. 

"  On  the  whole,  Joel,  you  may  as  well  keep 
on  follerin'  Harry  to  see  what  he  does  with  the 
money.  I  want  him  to  keep  it  about  him,  and 
I'll  get  hold  of  it  afore  mornin'." 

"All  right,  dad." 

Joel  turned  back  and  joined  Harry,  who  was 
still  near  the  depot. 

"I  thought  I'd  come  back,"  he  explained. 
"If  I  go  home  the  old  man  will  make  me 
work." 

"  Have  you  seen  your  father  ?"  asked  Harry. 

"  I  saw  him  up  the  road  a  few  minutes 
ago." 

"And  he  put  you  on  my  track,"  said  Harry 


96  FACING  THE  WOELD. 

to  himself  with  a  smile.     "  You're  too  late,  my 
young  friend.     The  money  is  disposed  of." 

Having  nothing  further  to  conceal,  our  hero 
chatted  socially  with  Joel,  who  flattered  him- 
self he  was  playing  the  detective  in  creditable 
style. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

HAEEY  BECOMES  A  PRISONER. 

"  T"OEL  seems  to  have  a  great  partiality  for 
*J  my  society,"  thought  Harry,  when,  after 
dinner,  his  guardian's  son  continued  to  follow 
him  about. 

Our  hero  would  have  been  quite  willing  to 
dispense  with  Joel's  companionship,  but,  be- 
ing good-natured,  he  did  not  feel  like  dismiss- 
ing him,  as  he  would  have  done  had  he  sus- 
pected that  the  boy  was  acting  as  a  spy  upon 
him  at  his  father's  request. 

Mr.  Fox  said  very  little  to  his  ward  at  the 
table,  but  Harry  felt  that  he  was  eying  him 
intently. 

"I  wonder  what  makes  me  so  interesting," 
he  asked  himself,  half  inclined  to  laugh. 

Mrs.  Fox,  too,  was  very  silent.  She  had 
learned  from  her  husband  the  extent  of  Harry's 
good  fortune,  and  felt  very  indignant  at  the 

7  97 


98  FACING  THE   WORLD. 

new  boy's  evident  intention  of  keeping  the 
money  in  his  own  possession.  On  the  whole, 
therefore,  the  dinner  party  was  not  very  social. 
Joel  alone  seemed  in  good  spirits,  and  chatted 
and  laughed,  occasionally  glancing  significantly 
from  his  father  to  Harry.  He  was  looking  for- 
ward with  enjoyment  to  the  scene  between 
them  when  his  father  demanded  the  money. 
He  had  no  doubt  that  Harry  would  have  to 
give  in,  and  while  he  had  no  particular  dislike 
for  our  hero,  he  was  prepared  to  rejoice  over  his 
humiliation. 

After  supper  Harry  was  about  to  leave  the 
room  when  Mr.  Fox  stopped  him. 

"Wait  a  moment,  young  man,"  he  said,  in 
a  commanding  tone. 

"Very  well,  sir,"  returned  Harry  quietly; 
"do  you  wish  to  speak  to  me?" 

"Yes,  I  do  wish  to  speak  to  you,  Harry 
Vane." 

"Aha!  there's  something  in  the  wind," 
thought  Harry,  and  he  resumed  his  seat. 

"You  have  deceived  me,"  continued  Mr. 
Fox  severely. 

Harry  didn't    seem    intimidated,   but  said 


HARRY   BECOMES   A   PRISONER.  99 

composedly,  "  Will  you  be  kind  enough  to 
let  me  know  in  what  manner  I  have  deceived 
you?" 

"  You  have  concealed  from  me  the  amount 
of  money  you  received  yesterday  for  saving 
the  railroad  train." 

"I  deny  that,  sir.  I  have  not  told  you, 
because  I  did  not  think  it  was  necessary." 

' '  Am  I  not  your  guardeen  ?  I  ask  you 
that." 

"Not  yet,  sir." 

"Well,  I  shall  be,  and  that  is  the  same 
thing.  It  is  my  duty  to  take  care  of  your 
money." 

"The  money  I  received  for  my  service  yes- 
terday was  not  left  me  by  my  father.  It  be- 
longs to  me,  and  I  mean  to  keep  it,"  said 
Harry  firmly. 

"We  shall  see  about  that,"  said  John  Fox, 
nodding  his  head  with  emphasis.  "  We  shall 
see  about  that.  Now,  will  you  answer  the 
question  I  am  going  to  ask  you?" 

"What  is  it,  sir?" 

"How  much  money  did  the  passengers  give 
you?" 


100  FACING  THE  WORLD. 

"Almost  three  hundred  dollars,"  answered 
Harry  composedly. 

"Did  you  ever  hear  the  like?"  exclaimed 
Mrs.  Fox  in  amazement.  "If  it  had  only 
been  Joel." 

"  Thunder  !  "  exclaimed  that  young  gentle- 
man. "  Well,  you  was  lucky.  No  such  luck 
for  me  !  " 

"It  is  well  you  have  told  me,"  said  John 
Fox  ;  "  not  but  I  knew  before.  I  met  one  of 
the  passengers  to-day,  and  he  gave  me  an  idea 
how  much  it  was.  You  will  please  hand  it 
over  to  me,  and  I  will  take  care  of  it." 

"I  shall  not  be  able  to  comply  with  your 
request,  Mr.  Fox,"  said  Harry. 

"  You  won't,  hey  ?    And  why  not  ?  " 

"Because  I  have  not  the  money  with 
me." 

"  I  don't  believe  it.  You  had  it  this  morn- 
ing." 

"That  is  true,  though  I  don't  know  how  you 
found  out." 

"  And  Joel  has  been  with  you  ever  since,  so 
you  haven't  had  time  to  hide  it." 

"  So   that  was  the  reason  you  favored  me 


HARRY   BECOMES   A    PRISONER.  101 

with  your  company,  Joel,"  said  Harry,  with  a 
glance  at  his  guardian's  son. 

Joel  grinned,  but  did  not  speak. 

"Oh,  yes,  I  was  too  sharp  for  you,"  said 
John  Fox  complacently.  "I've  trapped  you 
at  last." 

"I  think  you  are  mistaken,  Mr.  Fox,"  said 
Harry,  showing  no  signs  of  confusion  or 
alarm. 

"  All  you've  got  to  do  is  to  hand  over  that 
money  now,  Harry  Vane.   Mind,  I  will  have  it. ' ' 

"I  assure  you,  Mr.  Fox,  that  I  haven't  the 
money  with  me." 

"Where  is  it,  then?"  asked  Mr.  Fox  in- 
credulously. 

"  I  managed  to  put  it  in  a  place  of  security, 
in  spite  of  Joel's  watchfulness." 

"  I  shan't  believe  it  unless  you  tell  me  where 
it  is." 

"Did  you  put  it  back  in  the  hole?  "  asked 
Joel,  in  eager  curiosity. 

"So  you  were  watching  me  this  morning? 
No,  I  did  not.  If  I  had  you  would  have  seen 
me  do  it." 

"I'm  your  guardeen ;    I    ought  to    know 


102  FACING  THE   WORLD. 

where  the  money  is,"  said  Fox  in  a  different 
tone,  resorting  to  finesse. 

"  Very  well,  sir,  I  will  give  you  a  clue.  I 
have  put  it  into  the  hands  of  a  gentleman  in 
whom  I  have  confidence,  who  will  take  care  of 
it  for  me." 

"What's  the  man's  name?"  demanded 
John  Fox,  frowning. 

"  That  is  my  secret." 

"You  seem  to  forget  that  you  are  only 
a  boy,  Harry  Vane." 

"  No,  I  don't,  sir,  but  I  remember  that  boys 
have  some  rights." 

"  You  have  rebelled  against  my  lawful 
authority.  Maria,  what  is  it  my  duty  to  do 
with  this  boy  ?  " 

"Lock  him  up!"  answered  Mrs.  Fox 
grimly. 

"  A  good  suggestion,  Mrs.  F.  Imprison- 
ment may  change  the  boy's  ideas.  He  may 
repent  his  base  conduct." 

"  Mr.  Fox,"  asked  Harry  coolly,  "  why  are 
you  so  anxious  to  get  hold  of  my  money  ?  " 

"  Because  you  are  too  young  to  take  care 
of  it." 


HARRY   BECOMES   A   PRISONER.  103 

"  You  think  it  will  not  be  safe  in  my  hands, 
sir?" 

"  Yes,  that  is  what  I  mean." 

11 1  don't  agree  with  you.  Still,  the  money 
is  not  in  my  hands,  as  I  have  already  told 
you." 

"Where  is  it,  then?"  asked  Fox  suspi- 
ciously. 

"  I  decline  to  tell  you." 

"John  Fox,  are  you  goin'  to  let  that  whip- 
per-snapper get  the  best  of  you?"  asked 
Mrs.  Fox  indignantly.  "Brace  up,  and  be 
a  man." 

"  There  aint  no  need  to  tell  me  that,  Maria. 
I'll  show  him  his  duty.  So,  boy,  you  defy 
me,  eh?" 

"No,"  answered  Harry,  "I  am  willing  to 
submit  to  proper  authority.  But  you  are 
asking  of  me  what  you  have  no  right  to 
do." 

"I  guess  I'm  the  proper  judge  of  that," 
said  John  Fox,  gathering  courage  from  the 
stern  expression  of  his  wife's  face.  "I  ask 
you  once  more,  will  you  hand  over  that 
money  ?" 


104  FACING   THE  WORLD. 

"I  would  prefer  not  to,  Mr.  Fox." 

"  That's  no  answer.  Will  you,  or  will  you 
not?" 

"  If  you  put  it  that  way,  I  will  not." 

Mrs.  Fox  jerked  her  head  quickly,  and 
glared  at  Harry  with  an  expression  by  no 
means   amiable. 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do  about  it,  Mr. 
Fox  ? ' '  she  asked. 

"What  would  you  do,  Maria?"  returned 
her  husband,  apparently  undecided. 

"I  think  it  a  case  where  a  horsewhip  would 
come  in  play." 

Mr.  Fox  glanced  at  his  ward.  On  his  boy- 
ish face  he  saw  a  look  of  stern  determination, 
which  led  him  to  hesitate. 

"It  may  come  to  that,"  he  said.  "But  I'll 
try  somethin'  else  fust.     Joel,  get  a  candle." 

Joel  obeyed. 

"Now,  young  man,"  said  Fox,  in  a  tone 
of  authority,  "  go  up  to  your  chamb'er,  and 
stay  there  till  you're  ready  to  obey  orders." 

Harry  hesitated  a  moment,  then  took  the 
candle  quietly  and  went  upstairs.  Mr.  Fox 
was  relieved,  for  he  was  a  little  apprehensive 


HAERY  BECOMES   A   PRISONER.  105 

that  his  ward  would  prove  rebellious  and  de- 
cline to  obey. 

"You  see,  Maria,"  he  said  triumphantly, 
after  Harry  had  left  the  room.  "I've  con- 
quered him." 

"You  haven't  got  the  money!"  rejoined 
Mrs.  Fox  dryly. 

John  Fox  stole  up  after  his  ward,  and  Harry 
heard  the  door  bolted  on  the  outside. 

He  was  a  prisoner. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

HAERY   ESCAPES. 

IF  Mr.  Fox  had  been  wiser,  it  would  have 
occurred  to  him  that  it  would  be  more  pru- 
dent to  wait  till  he  had  actually  received  the 
appointment  of  guardian,  before  he  pushed 
his  ward  to  extremity.  But  he  was  of  a  bully- 
ing disposition,  and  had  a  good  deal  of  faith  in 
his  ability  to  manage  boys.  Harry  was  in- 
ferior to  him  in  size  and  physical  strength, 
and  he  felt  sure  he  could  subject  him  to  his 
authority  in  time.  He  didn't  know  the  boy 
with  whom  he  had  to  deal.  Our  hero  was  not 
difficult  to  manage  by  an  appeal  to  his  reason, 
but  his  spirit  rose  indignantly  when  anyone 
attempted  to  bully  or  browbeat  him. 

When  he  heard  the  bolt  slide  in  the  lock,  he 
said  to  himself,  "Mr.  Fox  and  I  can  never 
agree.  He  has  not  yet  been  appointed  my 
guardian,  and  he  never  will  receive  the  ap- 

106 


HAERY   ESCAPES.  107 

pointment.  I  have  the  right  to  choose  for  my- 
self, as  Mr.  Howard  told  me,  and  I  mean  to 
exercise  it." 

Some  of  my  readers  may  perhaps  picture 
Harry  as  forcing  open  the  door  of  his  cham- 
ber and  rushing  from  the  house,  breathing 
loud  defiance  as  he  went.  But  he  was  a  sensi- 
ble boy  and  meditated  nothing  of  the  kind. 

"  I  can  wait  till  morning,"  he  reflected.  "  I 
don't  think  I  shall  be  here  twenty  hours 
hence,  but  I  mean  to  ~et  a  good  night's  sleep. 
It  will  be  time  enough  to  decide  in  the  morn- 
ing what  I  will  do." 

So,  in  spite  of  his  imprisonment,  Harry  en- 
joyed a  comfortable  night's  sleep,  and  was 
awakened  in  the  morning  by  hearing  his  door 
opened. 

Mr.  Fox  entered,  and  sat  down  on  a  chair 
by  the  bed. 

"  Good- morning,  sir,"  said  Harry  com- 
posedly. "I  hope  you  had  a  good  night's 
rest." 

"I  say,  boy,  you've  got  cheek,"  remarked 
Fox,  puzzled.  "You  are  talkin'  as  if  nothin' 
had  happened." 


108  FACING  THE   WORLD. 

"Nothing  has  happened  to  prevent  my 
being  polite,  Mr.  Fox." 

"Much  you  care  about  my  night's  rest! 
Ef  I  had  acted  as  bad  as  you,  I  couldn't  have 
slept  a  wink." 

"I  slept  very  well,  thank  you,  Mr.  Fox." 

"  I  didn't  ask,"  snapped  Fox,  "  and  I  don't 
care.  What  I  want  to  know  is,  have  you 
made  up  your  mind  to  do  as  I  told  you  last 
night?" 

' '  About  the  money  % ' ' 

"  Sartain,  about  the  money." 

"  I  prefer  to  keep  it  in  my  own  possession, 
if  that  is  what  you  want  to  know." 

"So  you  aint  subdued  yet!  I  guess  I'll 
have  to  keep  you  here  a  little  longer." 

"  Then  be  kind  enough  to  send  me  up  some 
breakfast." 

"  You  don't  deserve  none." 

"Still,  as  I  am  paying  my  board,  I  shall 
object  to  paying  unless  I  get  my  meals  regu- 
larly." 

This  consideration  weighed  with  John  Fox, 
and  he  sent  Joel  up  with  a  cup  of  coffee  and 
some  dry  bread,  five  minutes  later. 


HARRY   ESCAPES.  109 

"Don't  let  him  get  out,  and  bolt  the  door 
after  you,  Joel,"  said  his  mother. 

"Here's  your  breakfast,  Harry,"  said  Joel, 
his  speckled  face  overspread  with  a  grin. 

"Thank  you,  Joel.  Didn't  you  have  any- 
thing better  than  that?" 

"Yes,  we  had  sassiges  and  pertaters,  but 
dad  and  mam  are  awful  mad  with  you,  and 
mam  says  this  is  good  enough  for  you." 

"It  will  keep  me  from  starving,  at  least," 
and  Harry  began  to  dispose  of  his  meagre 
meal. 

"I  say,  Harry,  you'd  better  give  in.  The 
old  man  is  bound  to  make  you." 

"The  old  man  has  undertaken  a  large  job, 
Joel,"  said  Harry  quietly. 

"You  don't  mean  to  say  you'll  stick  it 
out?" 

"  I  think  I  shall." 

"You've  got  spunk!"  said  Joel  admir- 
ingly. 

"Thank  you,  Joel ;  so  I  have  when  I  know 
I  am  right." 

"  S'pose  dad  should  keep  you  here  a 
month  ? " 


110  FACING  THE   WORLD. 

"I  don't  think  he  will.  By  the  way,  Joel, 
come  up  here  about  the  middle  of  the  fore- 
noon ;  I  want  to  say  a  few  words  to  you  in 
private." 

"All  right,  I'll  come.  I  must  go  down 
now." 

"What  did  he  say,  Joel?"  asked  Mrs.  Fox, 
as  her  son  and  heir  descended  the  stairs. 

' '  He  asked  if  that  was  all  we  had  for  break- 
fast, mam." 

"  Turned  up  his  nose  at  the  breakfast, 
hey?  It's  more'n  he  deserves  after  such 
goin's  on." 

"I  wonder  what  he  wants  to  see  me 
about!"  said  Joel  to  himself. 

Joel  made  a  pretty  shrewd  guess,  and 
resolved  by  all  means  to  keep  the  appoint- 
ment. 

He  was  anxious  to  get  his  father  out  of  the 
way,  but  John  Fox  was  unusually  deliberate  in 
his  motions.  Finally,  about  half  past  nine,  he 
left  the  house  for  the  village.  Mrs.  Fox  went 
in  and  out  about  her  work  as  usual.  She  was 
somewhat  surprised  to  find  Joel  remaining  in 
the  house  contrary  to  his  custom. 


HAERY   ESCAPES.  Ill 

"  What  makes  you  hang  round  the  house, 
Joel? "  she  asked. 

"I've  got  a  little  headache,  mam,"  an- 
swered Joel,  drawing  down  the  corners  of  his 
mouth. 

"Shall  I  mix  you  some  chamomile  tea, 
Joel?" 

"  No,"  answered  Joel  hastily,  for  he  remem- 
bered  very  well  the  bitter  taste  of  this,  his 
mother's  sovereign  remedy.  "I  guess  it'll 
go  off  bimeby." 

Presently  his  mother  said,  "Joel,  if 
you'll  stay  and  mind  the  house,  I'll  run  over 
to  Mrs.  Bean's  and  borrow  some  sugar,  I  never 
thought  to  ask  your  father  to  get  some.  If  you 
was  well,  I'd  ask  you  to  go  up  to  the  store." 

"I'll  stay  and  mind  the  house,  mam,"  said 
Joel,  with  avidity. 

His  mother  put  on  her  bonnet,  and  started 
across  a  field  to  her  nearest  neighbor's. 

"Now's  my  time,"  thought  Joel.  "Mam's 
sure  to  get  to  talkin'  with  Mrs.  Bean,  and  stay 
half  an  hour  or  more." 

He  ran  up  the  garret  stairs,  and  drew  the 
bolt  that  held  Harry  captive. 


112  FACING   THE   WORLD. 

"  Well,  Harry,  I've  come,"  he  said.  "  You 
wanted  me  to  come,  you  know." 

"Yes,  Joel." 

"Have  you  got  anything  to  say  to  me?" 
said  Joel  suggestively. 

"Yes,  Joel;  I  want  you  to  let  me  out  of 
this  place." 

"Oh,  gracious  !  "  exclaimed  Joel,  in  appar- 
ent dismay.  "Dad  would  give  me  the  wust 
kind  of  a  lickin'." 

"  Would  he  know  how  I  got  out  ? "  asked 
Harry. 

"I  don't  know.  What  are  you  willing  to 
give? " 

Harry  saw  that  it  was  merely  a  matter  of 
bargaining,  and  finally  prevailed  upon  Joel  to 
release  him  for  a  five-dollar  bill.  Of  course 
more  was  demanded,  but,  on  the  whole,  Joel  was 
satisfied  with  the  terms  finally  agreed  upon. 

"  I  want  the  money  now,"  said  Joel. 

"How  do  I  know  that  you  will  do  as  you 
have  agreed?" 

"  Give  me  the  money,  and  I'll  tell  you." 

Harry  passed  over  the  bank  bill,  and  Joel 
said : 


HARRY  ESCAPES.  113 

"  Dad's  gone  to  the  village,  and  mam's  gone 
over  to  Mrs.  Bean's.  All  you've  got  to  do  is 
to  go  downstairs,  and  walk  out." 

Harry  was  by  no  means  slow  to  take  the 
hint. 

"Good-by,  Joel,"  he  said,  extending  his 
hand;  "I  won't  forget  the  favor  you've  done 
me." 

"  Aint  you  comin'  back  ? " 

"Not  at  present.  I  find  that  your  father 
and  I  will  never  agree,  and  I  prefer  to  go 
away  somewhere  and  face  the  world  by  my- 
self." 

"I  don't  know  what  dad' 11  say.  There'll 
be  an  awful  fuss.  Just  give  me  a  box  on  the 
ear,  won't  you  %  " 

"What  for?" 

"I'll  tell  dad  you  give  me  an  awful  clip  on 
the  side  of  the  head,  and  ran  oif  though  I 
tried  to  stop  you." 

"All  right,"  said  Harry,  laughing. 

He  gave  Joel  the  required  box  on  the  ear, 
tripped  him  up,  laying  him  gently  on  his  back 
on  the  landing,  and  then  with  a  friendly 
"good-by,"  he  ran  down  the  stairs,  and  before 


114  PACING  THE  WORLD. 

Mrs.  Fox  returned  from  her  call  was  a  mile 
away. 

She  found  Joel  wiping  his  eyes. 

"What's  the  matter,  Joel?"  she  asked. 
"Is  your  headache  wuss?" 

"  Yes,  ma,  and  that  isn't  the  wust  of  it." 

"  What's  happened  ?    Tell  me  quick  !  " 

"That  boy,  Harry,  called  me  upstairs,  and 
got  me  to  open  the  door.  Then  he  give  me  an 
almighty  clip  on  the  side  of  my  head  that 
almost  stunned  me,  then  he  knocked  me  over, 
and  ran  out  of  the  house  as  fast  as  he  could 
run — my  head  aches  awful !  " 

"The  owdacious  young  ruffian!"  ejacu- 
lated Mrs.  Fox.  "To  beat  my  poor,  dear 
Joel  so  !  Never  mind,  Joel,  dear,  I'll  give 
you  a  piece  of  pie  and  some  cake.  As  for 
that  boy,  he'll  be  hung  some  day,  I  reckon  !  " 

After  eating  the  calve  and  pie,  which  were 
luxuries  in  that  frugal  household,  Joel  said 
he  felt  better.  He  went  out  behind  the  house, 
and  taking  out  the  five  dollar  note,  surveyed 
it  with  great  satisfaction. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

AN   EXCITING    CHASE. 

WHEN  John  Fox  went  to  the  village  he 
usually  stopped  first  at  the  tavern,  and 
invested  ten  cents  in  a  glass  of  whiskey. 
Though  economical  to  the  verge  of  meanness, 
he  generally  indulged  himself  once  a  day  or 
more  in  this  way.  But  for  his  love  of  money 
he  would  have  gratified  his  taste  oftener.  So 
in  this  instance  his  avarice  served  him  a  good 
turn,  and  prevented  his  becoming  a  drunkard. 

He  had  a  little  business  in  the  village,  but 
called  first,  as  usual,  at  the  tavern.  Here  he 
met  two  or  three  of  his  cronies. 

"Folks  say  you've  got  a  new  boarder, 
Fox,"  said  Bill  Latimer,  as  he  laid  down  his 
glass  on  the  counter. 

"Yes,"  answered  Fox  complacently. 
"I'm  his  guardeen." 

"He's  the  boy  that  saved  the  train,  aint 
he?"  asked  Latimer. 

115 


116  FACING   THE  WORLD. 

"Yes,  that's  he." 

"  Folks  say  he  got  a  pile  of  money  for 
doing  it." 

"He  got  a  pretty  stiff  sum,"  answered  Fox 
cautiously. 

"How  much  now  ?  " 

"What  do  you  say  to  two  hundred 
dollars?" 

"I'd  save  ten  trains  for  that  money.  Do 
you  keep  his  money?" 

"Yes." 

"How  much  property  did  his  father  leave 
him?" 

"The  estate  hasn't  been  settled  yet,"  said 
Fox,  who  knew  how  to  keep  his  own  counsel. 
"  I  can't  say  how  much  money  there  is." 

"How  did  he  happen  to  apply  to  you?" 
asked  Eben  Bond  curiously. 

"  There's  a  sort  of  relationship  between  us, 
Eben." 

' '  Is  he  easy  to  manage  ? ' '  asked  John 
Blake. 

"  Well,  some  folks  might  find  trouble  with 
him,"  said  Fox  complacently.  "The  fact 
is,  gentlemen,  I  don't  mind  telling  you   that 


AN   EXCITING   CHASE.  117 

he's  been  tryin'  to  buck  agin'  his  guardeen 
a' ready.  Where  do  you  think  I  left  him?" 
continued  Fox,  chuckling. 

"Where?" 

"  Up  in  the  attic,  locked  up  in  his  chamber. 
I'm  goin'  to  feed  him  on  bread  and  water 
awhile,  just  to  show  him  what  sort  of  a  man 
John  Fox  is." 

A  grin  overspread  the  face  of  Eben  Bond, 
who  had  just  looked  out  of  the  front  window. 

"So  you  left  him  in  the  attic,  hey?"  he 
said  waggishly. 

"  Yes,  I  did.  Do  you  mean  to  say  I 
didn't?" 

"I'll  bet  you  a  quarter  he  isn't  there 
now." 

"I  know  he  is,  Eben  Bond.  Seems  to  me 
you're  making  a  fool  of  yourself." 

"Maybe  I  am,  but  I'm  willin'  to  bet  he 
isn't  there  now." 

"What  makes  you  say  that?"  asked  Fox 
suspiciously. 

"Oh,  I'm  foolin'.  It  don't  make  any  dif- 
ference what  I  say,"  returned  Eben,  with  a 
comical  leer. 


118  FACING   THE  WORLD. 

"  You  jest  tell  me  what  you  mean,  Eben 
Bond  !  "  said  John  Fox,  provoked. 

"I  mean  that  I  saw  that  boy  of  yours — I 
don' t  know  his  name — go  by  the  tavern  only 
two  minutes  since." 

"  Is  that  true  ?  "  gasped  Fox. 

"True  as  gospel!  I  reckon  he's  more'n  a 
match  for  his  guardeen.     Hey,  boys  ? " 

"Where  did  he  go?  In  what  direction?" 
demanded  Fox  eagerly. 

"  Down  toward  the  river." 

"There  aint  no  trick  about  it  ?  "  asked  Fox 
suspiciously. 

"  Ask  Sam  Wallace — he  must  have  met 
him." 

Sam  Wallace,  a  stout  young  man,  had  just 
entered  the  room. 

"Did  you  see  my  new  boy,  Sam  ?"  asked 
Fox,  turning  to  the  new-comer. 

"  Yes,  I  met  him  down  the  road  a  piece  ;  he 
seemed  in  an  awful  hurry." 

"He's  running  away,"  Fox  said  to  himself 
in  dismay.  "How  in  the  world  did  he  get 
out?" 

He  ran  up  the  road,  gazing  anxiously  on 


AN   EXCITING   CHASE.  119 

this  side  and  on  that,  hoping  to  come  upon 
the  runaway.  One  thing  was  favorable ;  it 
was  a  straight  road,  with  no  roads  opening 
out  of  it  for  at  least  a  mile  beyond  the  tav- 
ern. It  led  by  the  river  at  a  point  half  a 
mile  on. 

"I'll  catch  him  yet.  He  can't  escape  me," 
Fox  reflected,  his  courage  beginning  to  re- 
turn. "  When  I  get  hold  of  him  I'll  handle 
him  pretty  rough.  He'll  find  he  can't  cut  any 
of  his  didos  on  me." 

"Have  you  seen  a  boy  up  the  road?"  he 
asked  of  Georgie  Foster,  a  small  boy  whom 
he  met. 

"Yes,"  answered  Georgie  carelessly. 

"Who  was  it?" 

"It's  the  boy  that's  livin'  at  your  house — I 
don't  know  his  name." 

"Thank  you,  Georgie  !  That's  a  nice  boy. 
I'll  give  you  a  cent  some  time." 

"Hadn't  you  better  give  it  to  me  now?" 
asked  Georgie  shrewdly. 

"I  haven't  got  any  now.  Where  did  he 
go?" 

"  I  guess  he  went  down  to  the  river." 


120  FACING  THE   WORLD. 

John  Fox  pushed  on  breathless,  and  a 
minute  later  came  in  sight  of  the  fugitive. 

Harry  had  sobered  down  to  a  walk,  think- 
ing himself  no  longer  in  danger.  If  Mr.  Fox 
had  been  wise  enough  to  keep  silent  till  he 
had  come  within  a  few  rods  he  might  have 
caught  him  easily,  but  excitement  and  anger 
were  too  much  for  prudence,  and  he  called 
out  angrily  :  "Just  wait  till  I  get  hold  of  you, 
you  young  villain  !     I'll  give  you  a  lesson  !  " 

Harry  turned  quickly  and  saw  the  enemy 
close  upon  him. 

That  was  enough.  He  set  out  on  what  the 
boys  call  a  dead  run,  though  he  hardly  knew 
in  what  direction  to  look  for  a  refuge.  But 
through  the  trees  at  the  west  side  of  the  road 
he  caught  sight  of  something  that  put  new 
hope  into  his  heart.  It  was  a  boat,  floating 
within  three  feet  of  the  shore.  In  it  sat  a  boy 
of  about  his  own  age.  It  was  Willie  Foster,  a 
brother  of  Georgie. 

There  was  no  time  for  ceremony.  Harry 
sprang  into  the  boat,  and  seizing  an  idle  oar 
pushed  out  into  the  river. 

The    owner    of   the    boat,    who    had   been 


AN   EXCITING   CHASE.  121 

thoughtfully  gazing  into  the  water,  looked  up 
in  surprise.  p 

"  Well,  that's  cool !  "  he  ejaculated. 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,"  said  Harry,  still  ply- 
ing the  oar;  "I  couldn't  help  it,  Mr.  Fox  is 
after  me." 

"  What's  he  after  you  for  \  " 

"I'll  tell  you  presently.     There  he  is  !  " 

John  Fox  by  this  time  stood  on  the  river 
bank  shaking  his  fist,  with  a  discomfited  ex- 
pression, at  his  intended  victim. 

"Come  back  here  !  "  he  shouted. 

"  Thank  you,  I  would  rather  not,"  answered 
Harry,  still  increasing  the  distance  between 
himself  and  his  guardian. 

"  You,  Willie  Foster,  row  the  boat  back  !  " 
bawled  John  Fox. 

"Is  your  name  Willie  Foster?"  asked 
Harry,  turning  to  his  companion,  who  was 
looking  with  a  puzzled  expression  from  one  to 
the  other. 

"Yes." 

"Then,  Willie,  if  you  will  help  me  row 
over  to  the  other  side  of  the  river,  and  set  me 
off  there,  I'll  give  you  a  dollar." 


122  FACING  THE  WORLD. 

"I'll  do  it,"  said  Willie,  seizing  the 
other  oar,  "but  you  needn't  give  me  any 
money." 

To  his  intense  disgust  Fox  saw  the  boat, 
propelled  by  the  two  boys,  leaping  forward 
energetically,  while  he  stood  helplessly  on 
the  bank. 

The  other  bank  was  half  a  mile  away,  and 
could  not  be  reached  except  by  a  bridge  a 
considerable  distance  away.  The  two  boys 
said  little  until  the  trip  was  accomplished. 

"I  hope  you  won't  get  into  any  trouble 
with  Mr.  Fox,"  said  Harry,  as  they  drew  near 
the  bank. 

"I  don't  care  for  old  Fox,  and  father 
doesn't  like  him  either.  Why  are  you  run- 
ning away?" 

Harry  told  him  in  a  few  words. 

As  he  got  out  of  the  boat  he  pressed  a 
dollar  into  Willie's  reluctant  hand. 

"  Don't  be  afraid  !  I've  got  plenty  more  !  " 
said  Harry.  "Now,  which  way  had  I  better 
go?" 

"Take  that  footpath.  It  will  lead  to  Med- 
field.     There  you  can  take  the  cars." 


AN   EXCITING   CHASE.  123 

"  Good-by,  Willie  ;  and  thank  you.'* 
Willie  didn't  row  back  immediately.     John 

Fox  was  lying  in  wait  on  the  other  side,  and 

he  didn'  t  care  to  meet  him. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

THE   MAGICIAN   OF   MADAGASCAK. 

HARRY  pushed  on  till  he  reached  a  high- 
way. He  felt  in  doubt  as  to  where  it 
might  lead  him,  but  followed  it  at  a  venture. 
He  wondered  whether  John  Fox  would  pursue 
him,  and  from  time  to  time  looked  back  to 
make  sure  that  his  guardian  was  not  on  his 
trail.  In  about  three  hours  he  found  himself 
eight  miles  away.  Then  for  the  first  time  he 
felt  that  it  might  be  safe  to  stop  and  rest.  In 
a  village  a  little  way  back  he  had  entered  a 
hake  shop  and  purchased  some  rolls  and  a 
glass  of  milk,  which  he  ate  with  a  good  relish. 

He  resumed  his  walk,  but  had  not  gone  a 
quarter  of  a  mile  when  he  heard  the  noise  of 
wheels,  which,  on  coming  up  with  him,  came 
to  a  halt. 

"Shall  I  give  you  a  lift?"  said  the  driver 
of  the  team. 

124 


THE   MAGICIAN   OF   MADAGASCAR.  125 

Looking  up,  he  saw  that  it  was  a  covered 
wagon  with  four  wheels,  such  as  is  often  to  be 
met  in  New  England  towns.  The  man  who 
held  the  reins  was  of  large  frame  and  portly, 
with  dark  hair  and  whiskers.  He  might  be 
about  forty-five  years  of  age. 

"  If  you  prefer  riding  to  walking,  my  young 
friend,  jump  in  !  " 

"Thank  you,  sir,"  said  Harry.  "I  do  pre- 
fer it  at  the  present  moment,  for  I  am  getting 
tired." 

"I'm  sorry  I  didn't  overtake  you  before. 
I'm  sociable,  and  like  someone  to  talk  to." 

"Perhaps  your  horse  isn't  sorry,"  sug- 
gested Harry,  with  a  smile. 

"Oh,  he  won't  mind  your  weight.  When 
you  get  to  my  weight  it  will  make  a  differ- 
ence. Where  are  you  bound,  if  you  don't 
mind  my  being  inquisitive?" 

"I  don't  know,"  answered  Harry  doubt- 
fully. 

"Don't  know  !  Well,  that  is  curious. 
Don't  you  live  around  here?" 

"No;  my  home  is  a  hundred  miles 
away." 


126  FACING  THE   WORLD. 

"You  aint  goin'  West  to  kill  Indians,  are 
you?"  inquired  his  companion  jocosely. 

"No;  I'm  willing  the  Indians  should  live. 
The  fact  is,  I'm  seeking  my  fortune,  as  they 
say." 

"  Well,  you  ought  to  find  it,"  returned  the 
other,  after  a  deliberate  survey  of  his  young 
companion.  "You're  well  built,  and  look 
healthy  and  strong.  Have  you  got  any 
money  ?" 

"A  little.  My  father  died  lately  and  left 
me  three  hundred  dollars.  He  recommended 
to  me  as  guardian  a  man  named  John  Fox, 
living  eight  miles  back.  Well,  I  have  tried 
Mr.  Fox,  and  I  prefer  to  be  my  own  guar- 
dian." 

"I've  heard  of  John  Fox.  He's  Fox  by 
name,  and  fox  by  nature.  So  you  and  he 
didn't  hitch  horses?" 

"Not  at  all." 

"  When  did  you  leave  him  ? " 

"This  morning.  I  don't  know  but  I  may 
say  that  I  am  running  away  from  him,  as  I 
left  without  his  knowledge  or  permission,  but 
as  he  is  not  yet  my  legal  guardian,  I  don't 


THE  MAGICIAN   OF   MADAGASCAR.  127 

consider  that  he  has  any  right  to  interfere 
with  me." 

"  Tell  me  what  sort  of  a  time  you  had  with 
him,  if  you  don't  object." 

Upon  this  Harry  gave  a  graphic  account  of 
his  experiences,  as  already  detailed.  His 
companion  seemed  very  much  amused,  and 
laughed  repeatedly. 

"That's  very  clever,"  he  said.  "You  out- 
witted the  old  man  nicely.  There'll  be  apt  to 
be  a  circus  when  they  find  out  how  you  got 
away." 

"I  don't  believe  they  will  find  out.  Joel 
will  be  cunning  enough  to  invent  some  story." 

"I  should  like  to  be  there  to  see  how  they 
cut  up." 

' '  I  wouldn'  t, ' '  said  Harry.  ' '  I  don' t  care  to 
set  eyes  on  any  of  the  family  again.  There  !  " 
he  suddenly  exclaimed.  "I've  forgotten 
something." 

"What  is  it?" 

"I'm  owing  Mr.  Fox  for  board." 

"  How  long  have  you  been  with  him  ? " 

"  About  two  days." 

"  Then  it  can't  be  much." 


128  FACING  THE   W0KLD. 

"  I'll  mail  a  letter  from  the  first  place  that 
is  far  enough  off  to  be  safe,  and  enclose  five 
dollars." 

"  That's  too  much  for  two  days." 

"  I  will  pay  the  week's  board.  I  won't 
give  him  any  reason  to  charge  me  with  dis- 
honesty. Then  Ave  shall  be  even,  and  I 
needn't  think  of  him  again." 

"  Perhaps  you  are  right.  You  haven't  told 
me  your  name  yet." 

"My  name  is  Harry  Vane." 

"  A  good  name.     Who  do  you  think  lam?" 

"You  may  be  General  Grant,"  answered 
Harry,  smiling,  "  but  I  don't  think  you  are." 

"  I  am  not,  to  the  best  of  my  knowledge.  I 
am  the  Magician  of  Madagascar.  You  may 
have  heard  of  me." 

"  I  don't  think  I  have,"  said  Harry,  puzzled. 

The  magician  looked  slightly  disconcerted. 

"I  have  been  before  the  public  for  many 
years,"  he  said.  "I  give  magical  entertain- 
ments, and  in  the  course  of  the  last  twenty 
years  have  travelled  all  over  the  continent." 

"You  see,"  explained  Harry  apologetically, 
"  I  have  always  lived  in  a  small  country  town 


THE  MAGICIAN   OF  MADAGASCAR.  129 

where  there  were  few  amusements,  and  so  I 
know  very  little  of  such  things.  I  never  saw 
a  magical  entertainment  in  my  life." 

"Didn't  you,  indeed?  Then  you  shall  see 
me  perform  to-night.  I  am  to  give  a  magical 
soiree  in  Conway,  the  town  we  are  coming 
to." 

"I  should  like  it  very  much,  Mr. ?" 

and  Harry  paused  in  doubt. 

"  I  am  called  Professor  Hemenway — Hiram 
Hemenway,"  said  the  magician;  "  I  was  raised 
in  Maine,  and  my  parents  tried  to  make  a 
farmer  of  me.  But  it  was  of  no  use.  The 
public  needed  me,  and  I  became  what  you 
see." 

The  professor  spoke  complacently.  He  evi- 
dently considered  himself  a  man  of  consider- 
able importance. 

"Do  you  like  your  business?"  asked 
Harry  curiously. 

"Why  shouldn't  I?  I  have  a  chance  to 
travel.  The  people  appreciate  my  efforts,  and 
reward  me  generously.  I've  called  down  a 
few  thousands,  I  can  assure  you,  my  young 
friend." 
9 


130  FACING  THE  WOELD. 

"  I  am  very  glad  to  hear  it,  Professor  Hem- 
enway." 

"Money  isn't  to  be  despised,  my  young 
friend,  and  I  earn  it  in  a  pleasant  way." 

By  a  fortunate  accident  Harry  happened 
to  turn  in  his  seat  and  looked  through  a 
small  window  in  the  back  part  of  the 
wagon.  What  he  saw  startled  him.  In  a 
buggy,  ten  rods  back,  he  recognized  his  late 
guardian  and  Joel.  They  were  making 
good  speed,  and  were  doubtless  in  pursuit 
of  him. 

Harry  quickly  imparted  his  discovery  to  his 
companion. 

"  Don't  let  him  capture  me  !  "  he  said. 

"I  should  like  to  see  him  do  it,"  responded 
the  professor.  "  Get  into  the  back  part  of  the 
wagon,  and  crouch  down." 

Harry  did  as  directed. 

Then  the  professor  slackened  his  speed,  and 
allowed  the  pursuers  to  overtake  him. 

"  I  say,  stranger,"  said  Fox,  as  he  drew  up 
alongside. 

"All  right,  my  friend,  go  ahead  and  say 
it!"  observed  the  professor  blandly. 


THE  MAGICIAN   OF   MADAGASCAK.  131 

"A  boy  ran  away  from  me  this  morning. 
Perhaps  you  have  seen  him." 

"  Perhaps  so.    Is  he  your  son  ?  " 

"  No,  I'm  his  guardeen." 

"  Why  did  he  run  away  ?  Did  you  ill-treat 
him?" 

"Certainly  not.  He  wouldn't  obey  my 
rightful  authority." 

"  I  saw  a  boy  about  a  mile  back,"  said  the 
magician  reflectively,  "a  stout,  good-looking 
lad,  dark-brown  hair,  and  a  pleasant  expres- 
sion ;  didn't  look  at  all  like  you." 

"  Why  should  he  ?  Didn't  I  say  he  was  not 
my  son  %  "  said  Mr.  Fox,  appearing  annoyed. 

"I  chatted  with  him  awhile.  He  said  he 
was  leaving  a  man  who  claimed  to  be  his 
guardian,  but  wasn't." 

"The  young  liar!"  ejaculated  Fox  wrath- 
fully.     "  Where  is  he  now  ? " 

"Is  he  in  your  wagon?"  put  in  Joel 
sharply. 

"  If  he  were  you'd  see  him,  wouldn't  you  ? " 

"In  behind  you? " 

"Yes,  are  you  kidnapping  him?"  de- 
manded Fox  fiercely. 


132  FACING   THE   WOULD. 

"  There  is  a  boy  in  the  back  of  my  wagon," 
said  the  magician  coolly.  "If  you  aint 
afraid  of  small-pox,  yon  may  see  him.  Which 
shall  it  be,  you  or  the  boy  ? " 

A  pallid  hue  overspread  the  face  of  John 
Fox,  which  was  increased  by  an  agonizing 
moan,  which  appeared  to  proceed  from  behind 
the  magician. 

"  Turn  the  horse,  Joel !  "  was  all  he  said. 

He  whipped  up  his  horse  without  a  word, 
and  did  not  pull  up  for  half  a  mile. 

"You  can  come  out  now,  Harry,"  said  the 
professor,  with  a  queer  smile.  "  I  am  a  ven- 
triloquist, and  that  moan  did  the  business." 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

A  NEW   ENGAGEMENT. 

HARRY  was  not  a  little  relieved  at  his 
narrow  escape.  He  did  not  propose  to 
be  taken  captive  without  making  a  stout  re- 
sistance, but  still,  in  a  struggle  with  Mr.  Fox 
and  Joel,  he  felt  that  he  would  be  considerably 
at  a  disadvantage. 

"I  am  much  obliged  to  you  for  saving  me, 
Professor  Hemenway,"  he  said. 

"You  are  quite  welcome.  So  you  didn't 
like  old  Fox?" 

"Not  much." 

"  He  doesn't  appear  to  like  you  any  better." 

"There  isn't  much  love  lost  between  us,"  re- 
turned Harry,  laughing. 

"  How  do  you  like  the  boy  ?  " 

"  He  served  me  a  good  turn — for  five  dollars 
— but  he  would  help  capture  me  for  the  same 
money  or  less." 


134  FACING  THE   WORLD. 

"You  seem  to  know  him." 

"  He  is  fond  of  money,  and  would  do  almost 
anything  for  it." 

"You  thanked  me  for  saving  you  from 
capture,  my  lad,"  continued  the  magician. 
"Well,  I  had  an  object  in  it — a  selfish  object." 

Harry  looked  puzzled. 

"It  struck  me  that  I  needed  a  boy,  about 
your  size  and  character,  for  a  general  assist- 
ant, to  sell  tickets,  take  money,  and  help  me 
on  the  stage.     How  do  you  like  the  idea  ?  " 

"I  like  it,"  answered  Harry,  "but  there  is 
one  objection." 

"  What  is  that  ?  " 

"  I  don't  come  from  Madagascar,"  responded 
Harry  slyly. 

Professor  Hemenway  laughed. 

"You've  been  as  near  there  as  I  have,"  he 
said.  "Did  you  really  think  I  came  from 
Madagascar  ? ' ' 

"  You  look  more  as  if  you  came  from  Maine, 
sir." 

"  You've  hit  it !  That's  where  I  did  come 
from.  I  was  raised  twenty-five  miles  from 
Portland,  on  a  farm.     But  it  would  never  do 


A   NEW   ENGAGEMENT.  135 

to  put  that  on  the  bills.  People  are  ready  to 
pay  more  for  imported  than  for  native  curi- 
osities. However,  to  come  to  business.  I  had 
a  young  man  travelling  with  me,  who  wasn't 
suited  to  the  business.  He  was  a  dry- goods 
clerk  when  I  took  him,  and  is  better  adapted 
to  that  business  than  to  mine.  He  left  me 
last  week,  and  I've  been  in  a  quandary  about 
his  successor.  How  much  do  you  consider 
your  time  worth?" 

"Just  at  present  it  isn't  worth  much.  If 
you  will  pay  my  travelling  expenses,  that  will 
satisfy  me." 

"I  will  do  better  than  that.  I  will  give  you 
five  dollars  a  week  besides,  if  business  is 
good." 

"  Thank  you,  sir.  I  think  I  shall  enjoy 
travelling." 

There  are  few  boys  who  do  not  like  change 
of  scene,  and  the  chance  of  seeing  new  places 
is  attractive  to  nearly  all.  Harry  was  de- 
cidedly of  opinion  that  he  had  a  streak  of 
luck.  It  would  be  much  better  in  all  ways 
than  living  with  his  late  guardian,  and  work- 
ing for  partial  board. 


136  FACING  THE   WORLD. 

As  they  approached  the  village  of  Conway, 
Harry's  attention  was  drawn  to  a  variety  of 
posters,  setting  forth  in  mammoth  letters  that 
the  world-renowned  Magician  of  Madagascar 
would  give  a  magical  soiree  at  the  Town  Hall, 
in  the  evening.  Tickets  fifteen  cents,  children 
under  twelve  years  ten  cents.  The  posters 
furthermore  attracted  attention  by  a  large 
figure  of  the  professor,  dressed  in  bizarre 
style,  performing  one  of  his  tricks. 

"That  draws  attention,"  observed  the  pro- 
fessor, "particularly  among  the  boys.  I 
think  I  shall  have  a  hallfnl  this  evening. 
An  audience  of  three  hundred  will  pay  very 
well.  My  expenses  are  light.  I  do  most  of 
my  travelling  in  this  wagon,  and  at  hotels  I 
get  the  usual  professional  reduction." 

' '  Did  it  take  you  long  to  learn  the  busi- 
ness V 

"I  have  been  learning  all  along.  Every 
now  and  then  I  add  a  new  trick.  I  will  teach 
you  some." 

"  I  might  leave  you  and  set  up  on  my  own 
hook  when  I  have  learned,"  suggested  Harry, 
with  a  smile. 


A   NEW   ENGAGEMENT.  137 

"  It  will  be  some  time  before  you  look  old 
enough  for  a  magician.  When  you  are,  I'll 
give  you  my  blessing  and  send  you  out." 

Meanwhile  they  had  been  jogging  along, 
and  were  already  in  the  main  street  of  Con- 
way. The  professor  drew  up  in  front  of  the 
village  hotel,  and  a  groom  came  forward  and 
took  his  horse. 

"  Wait  a  minute,  my  friend,"  said  the  pro- 
fessor. "Harry,  you  can  help  me  take  out 
my  implements  in  the  back  of  the  wagon." 

These  "implements"  were  of  a  heteroge- 
neous character,  but  all  would  come  in  use 
in  the  evening.  A  number  of  boys  watched 
their  transfer  with  mingled  awe  and  curi- 
osity. 

"What's  them?"  Harry  heard  one  ask 
another  in  a  half  whispered  tone. 

"Those,"  said  the  professor,  in  an  impres- 
sive tone,  turning  toward  the  boys,  "those 
are  paraphernalia  !  " 

The  boys  looked  more  awe-struck  than  ever. 
All  inwardly  resolved  to  go  to  the  Town  Hall 
that  evening,  and  get  a  nearer  view  of  the 
articles  which  had  such  a  grand  name. 


138  FACING   THE  WORLD. 

After  a  while  Harry  came  downstairs  from 
the  room  assigned  him,  and  stood  on  the 
piazza. 

One  of  the  boys  drew  near  him  cautiously. 

"  Are  you  the  magician's  son  ?  "  he  asked. 

"No,"  answered  Harry,  smiling. 

"  Do  you  come  from  Madagascar  ? " 

"  I  have  not  been  there  recently." 

"  Are  all  the  people  there  magicians  %  " 

"Not  quite  all." 

This  information  was  rather  scanty,  but  it 
was  whispered  about  among  the  boys,  the  first 
boy  boasting  that  he  had  a  talk  with  the 
young  magician.  If  Harry  had  heard  himself 
called  thus,  he  would  have  been  very  much 
amused. 

Directly  after  supper  Harry  went  with  his 
employer  to  assist  in  preparing  the  stage  for 
the  evening  performance.  Though  a  novice 
he  acquitted  himself  to  the  satisfaction  of  his 
employer,  who  congratulated  himself  on  hav- 
ing secured  so  efficient  an  assistant.  Half  an 
hour  before  the  performance  he  stationed 
himself  in  the  entry,  provided  with  tickets. 
He  sat  at  a  small  table,   and    received    the 


A   NEW   ENGAGEMENT.  139 

crowd.  Though  new  to  the  business,  he 
managed  to  make  change  rapidly.  He  found 
his  position  one  in  which  he  had  a  chance  to 
study  human  nature. 

An  old  lady  entered  with  a  brutish  looking 
boy  as  large  as  himself. 

"Gimme  a  whole  ticket  and  a  half,"  she 
said,  offering  a  quarter. 

"Who  is  the  half  ticket  for?"  asked 
Harry,  with  a  glance  at  the  boy. 

"For  my  grandson  here.  Did  you  think 
'twas  for  me?"  demanded  the  old  lady 
aggressively. 

"Is  your  grandson  under  twelve?"  asked 
Harry,  with  a  smile. 

"Can't  you  let  him  in  for  ten  cents?" 

"lam  sorry,  bat  it's  contrary  to  orders." 

"It's  real  mean,  I  vow  'tis!  Timothy,  I 
guess  you'll  have  to  go  home." 

"No,  I  won't!"  said  the  boy.  "If  any- 
body's goin'  home,  it  ought  to  be  you,  granny. 
What  does  an  old  woman  like  you  want  to  see 
the  show  for  anyway  ? " 

This  proposal,  however,  did  not  suit  the 
grandmother. 


140  FACING  THE  WORLD. 

"I'll  give  you  the  extra- five  cents  to-mor- 
rer,"  she  said  to  Harry. 

"That  won't  do,  madam.  Please  stand 
aside,  as  others  are  waiting." 

Finally,  after  a  great  deal  of  grumbling,  the 
old  lady  managed  to  discover  a  three-cent 
piece  and  two  pennies  which  she  tendered  to 
the  young  ticket-seller,  and  this  removed  all 
difficulties.  But  Timothy,  who  was  provoked 
at  Harry's  inflexible  refusal  to  let  him  in  for 
a  half  ticket,  launched  a  farewell  shot  at  the 
young  financial  agent. 

"I'd  lick  you  for  a  cent !  "  he  said,  scowl- 
ing. 

" I  don't  allow  any  boy  under  twelve  to  lick 
me,"  returned  Hany  quietly. 

This  answer  provoked  a  laugh  among  the 
crowd  in  the  entry,  and  Timothy,  reddening 
with  mortification,  slunk  in  after  his  grand- 
mother. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

HARRY   IN   A   NEW   ROLE. 

DURING  the  evening  Harry  was  called 
upon  to  assist  the  professor  in  some  of 
his  tricks.  Some  boys  would  have  been 
embarrassed  upon  finding  themselves  objects 
of  general  atttention,  but  Harry  was  by 
temperament  cool  and  self-possessed.  He  had 
been  fond  of  declamation  at  school,  and  this 
had  accustomed  him  to  some  extent  to  a 
public  appearance. 

The  entertainment  was  in  two  parts,  with  an 
intermission  of  ten  minutes. 

"I  wish  you  were  a  singer,"  said  the  pro- 
fessor, when  they  were  standing  behind  the 
screen. 

"Why?"  asked  Harry. 

"Because  the  audience  sometimes  gets 
impatient  during  the  intermission.  If  I  could 
put  you  on  for  a  song  it  would  help  quiet 
them." 

141 


142  FACING   THE  WORLD. 

"I  can  sing  a  little,"  said  Harry  modestly. 

"  What  can  you  sing  ?  " 

"How  would  'The  Last  Rose  of  Summer' 
do?" 

"  Capitally.     Can  you  sing  it?  " 

"I  can  try." 

"You  are  sure  you  won't  break  down? 
That  would  make  a  bad  impression." 

"I  can  promise  you  I  won't  break  down, 
sir." 

"Then  I'll  give  you  a  trial.  Are  you  ready 
to  appear  at  once  ? " 

"Yes,  sir." 

"  Wait  then  till  I  announce  you." 

The  professor  came  from  behind  the  screen, 
and  addressing  the  audience,  said,  "Ladies 
and  gentlemen,  lest  you  should  find  the  neces- 
sary intermission  tedious,  I  am  happy  to 
announce  that  the  young  vocalist,  Master 
Harry  Vane,  has  kindly  consented  to  favor 
you  with  one  of  his  popular  melodies.  He 
has  selected,  by  request,  '  The  Last  Rose  of 
Summer.'  " 

Harry  could  hardly  refrain  from  laughing 
when  he  heard  this  introduction. 


HARRY   IN  A   NEW   ROLE.  143 

"  One  would  think  I  was  a  well-known 
singer,"  he  said  to  himself. 

He  came  forward,  and  standing  before  the 
audience,  with  his  face  a  little  flushed,  made  a 
graceful  bow.  Then  pausing  an  instant,  he 
commenced  the  song  announced.  He  had  not 
sung  through  two  lines  before  the  professor, 
who  awaited  the  result  with  some  curiosity 
and  some  anxiety,  found  that  he  could  sing. 
His  voice  was  high,  clear,  and  musical,  and  his 
rendition  was  absolutely  correct.  The  fact 
was,  Harry  had  taken  lessons  in  a  singing 
school  at  home,  and  had  practiced  privately 
also,  so  that  he  had  reason  to  feel  confidence 
in  himself. 

The  song  was  listened  to  with  earnest  atten- 
tion and  evident  enjoyment  by  all.  When 
die  last  strain  died  away,  and  Harry  made  his 
farewell  bow,  there  was  an  enthusiastic  burst 
of  applause,  emphasized  by  the  clapping  of 
hands  and  the  stamping  of  feet. 

"You  did  yourself  proud,  my  boy!"  said 
the  gratified  professor.  "They  want  you  on 
again." 

This  seemed  evident  from  the  noise. 


144  FACING  THE   WOELD. 

"  Can't  you  sing  something  else  ?" 

"Very  well,  sir." 

Harry  was  certainly  pleased  with  this  evi- 
dence of  popular  favor.  He  had  never  before 
sung  a  solo  before  an  audience,  and,  although 
he  had  felt  that  he  could,  he  was  glad  to 
find  that  he  had  not  overestimated  his 
powers. 

Once  more  he  stood  before  the  audience. 

"I  thank  you  for  your  kindness,"  he  said. 
"  I  will  now  sing  you  a  comic  song." 

He  sang  a  song  very  popular  at  that  time, 
the  words  and  air  of  which  were  familiar  to 
all.  While  it  did  not  afford  him  so  good  a 
chance  to  show  his  musical  capacity,  it  was 
received  with  much  greater  favor  than  the 
first  song. 

There  was  a  perfect  whirlwind  of  applause, 
and  a  third  song  was  called  for. 

"  I  would  rather  not  sing  again,  professor," 
said  Harry. 

"You  needn't.  They  would  keep  you  sing- 
ing all  the  evening  if  you  would  allow  it. 
Better  leave  off  when  they  are  unsatisfied." 

"  Ladies  and  gentlemen,"  he  said,  "Master 


HAEEY   IN  A   HEW   E0LE.  .  145 

Vane  thanks  you  for  your  kind  applause,  but 
he  makes  it  an  unvarying  rule  never  to  sing 
but  two  songs  in  an  evening.  He  never 
broke  that  rule  but  once,  and  that  was  at  the 
special  request  of  the  Governor-general  of 
Canada.  I  shall  now  have  the  pleasure  of 
performing  for  your  amusement  one  of  my 
most  popular  experiments." 

"I  wonder  when  I  sang  before  the  Gov- 
ernor-general of  Canada,"  thought  Harry, 
amused.  "My  new  employer  seems  to  be  a 
man  of  vivid  imagination." 

When  he  asked  the  professor  after  they 
returned  to  the  hotel,  the  magician  answered  : 
"My  dear  boy,  we  can't  get  along  without  a 
little  humbug.  The  people  like  it,  and  if  you 
don't  indulge  in  it  you  can't  keep  up  with 
your  competitors." 

"But  suppose  that  they  find  out  that  I  was 
never  in  Canada? " 

"How  are  they  going  to  find  out  %  Even  if 
they  did  they  would  only  laugh.  You  know 
that  Barnum  has  been  a  colossal  humbug  all 
his  life,  but  everybody  likes  him,  and  he 
never  fails  to  please  the  people.  Well,  you 
10 


146  FACING  THE  WOULD. 

have  pleased  the  people,  and  that  is  the  main 
point.  By  Jove,  my  boy  !  you've  got  a  lovely 
voice." 

"  I  am  glad  you  think  so,  sir." 

"You  will  prove  a  very  valuable  addition 
to  my  entertainment.  I  mean  to  show  my 
appreciation,  too.  How  much  did  I  agree  to 
give  you  ? " 

"  Five  dollars  a  week  if  business  was  good." 

"  It's  bound  to  be  good.  I'll  raise  your 
wages  to  ten  dollars  a  week,  if  you'll  agree  to 
sing  one  song,  and  two  if  called  for,  at  each 
of  my  evening  entertainments." 

"I'll  do  it,  sir,"  said  Harry  promptly. 
"It's  a  surprise  to  me,  though,  to  find  my 
voice  so  valuable  to  me." 

"It's  a  popular  gift,  my  boy  ;  and  all  pop- 
ular gifts  are  valuable.  When  I  get  my  new 
bill  printed,  I  must  have  your  name  on  it." 

They  left  Conway  about  noon  the  next 
day.  During  the  forenoon,  Harry,  in  walking 
through  the  village  street,  found  himself  an 
object  of  attention.  Among  others  he  met  the 
boy  whom  he  refused  to  admit  for  half  price. 

"Good-morning,"  said  Harry,  smiling. 


HARRY   IN   A   NEW   ROLE.  147 

"Mornin'!"  answered  the  young  rustic. 
"Say,  I  wish  I  could  sing  like  you!" 

"  Perhaps  you  could  if  you  tried." 

"No,  I  couldn't.  Granny  says  I've  got  a 
voice  like  a  frog." 

"  Not  so  bad  as  that,  I  am  sure." 

"My  voice  is  as  good  as  hers,  anyway. 
When  did  you  sing  before  that  big-bug  the 
old  man  told  of?" 

"You  must  ask  him,"  said  Harry,  smiling. 
"It  won't  do  for  me  to  tell  tales  out  of 
school." 

"Well,  I  wish  I  could  sing  like  you. 
There's  a  gal  in  the  village  I'm  kinder  shin- 
nin'  up  to.  I  heard  her  say  last  night  she 
wished  she  knowed  you." 

"  Give  her  my  regards,  please,"  said  Harry. 
"  If  she  likes  music  you  might  learn  to  play 
on  something,  and  that  might  help  you  win 
her  favor." 

"I  guess  I  will.  I  can  play  on  the  jews- 
harp  now." 

"  I  think  the  violin  or  flute  would  do  better." 

"You're  a  good  fellow  after  all.  Last 
night  I  felt  like  lickin'  you." 


148  FACING  THE   WORLD. 

"It's  better  to  be  friends.  What's  your 
name  ?" 

"  Timothy  Tompkins." 

"  Then  shake  hands,  Timothy.  I  wish  you 
good  luck  with  your  girl,  and  shall  be  glad  to 
meet  you  again  some  day." 

"  I  think  I  shall  be  getting  self-conceited 
before  long,"  thought  Harry;  "I  certainly 
never  expected  to  become  a  public  singer.  I 
wonder  what  my  '  guardeen,'  as  he  calls  him- 
self, would  have  said  if  he  had  been  in  the 
audience  last  evening." 

The  Foxes,  however,  were  destined  to  hear 
of  Harry's  success.  The  Conway  Citizen  was 
taken  in  the  family,  and  much  to  their  aston- 
ishment this  was  what  they  read  in  the  next 
number : 

The  magical  entertainment  of  Professor  Hemenway 
on  Thursday  evening  was  even  more  successful  than 
usual.  He  has  had  the  good  fortune  to  secure  the  ser- 
vices of  a  young  vocalist  named  Harry  Vane,  who 
charmed  both  young  and  old  by  two  popular  selections. 
His  voice  and  execution  are  admirable,  and  we  predict 
for  him  a  brilliant  future. 

Mr.  Fox  read  this  aloud  in  evident  wonder 
and  excitement. 


HARRY    IX    A    NEW    ROLE.  149 

"  Did  you  ever  hear  the  like  \  "  he  said. 

"  Who'd  have  thought  it  ?  "  chimed  in  Mrs. 
Fox. 

"  I  wonder  if  he  gets  good  pay,"  said  Joel. 
"I  say,  dad,  I  believe  that  old  feller  in  the 
wagon  was  the  magician,  and  Harry  was  in 
behind.  That  was  all  a  blind  about  the  small- 
pox." 

"  Shouldn't  wonder  if  you  were  right, 
Joel,"  said  his  father.  "I  wish  I'd  know'd 
the  boy  could  sing  so  well.  I'd  have  got  up 
a  concert  and  had  him  sing.  I  might  have 
made  it  pay." 

"  Shall  you  try  to  get  him  back,  dad  \  " 

"It's  no  use  now,"  said  John  Fox,  shaking 
his  head. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

A   LIBERAL   OFFER. 

THEN  commenced  a  round  of  travel — what 
the  professor  called  a  professional  tour. 
By  day  they  travelled  in  the  wagon,  carrying 
their  ''paraphernalia"  with  them,  stopping 
at  the  principal  towns,  and  giving  evening 
entertainments.  At  many  of  these  places  the 
magician  was  well  known,  and  his  tricks  were 
not  new.  But  he  had  an  attraction  in  his 
young  assistant,  who  was  regularly  advertised 
on  his  posters  as  the  "  celebrated  young  vocal- 
ist, whose  songs  were  everywhere  received  with 
admiring  applause." 

Indeed  this  was  very  near  the  truth.  Harry 
was  really  a  fine  singer,  and  his  fresh,  attract- 
ive face  and  manly  appearance  won  him  a 
welcome  in  all  the  towns  on  their  route. 
Sometimes  a  young  girl  in  the  audience  threw 
him  a  bouquet.  This  made  him  blush  and 
smile,  and  the  donor  felt  rewarded. 

150 


A   LIBERAL   OFFER.  151 

Where  was  it  going  to  end?  Was  he  to 
continue  in  the  service  of  the  professor,  and  in 
time  become  himself  a  magician  and  a  travel- 
ling celebrity  ?  Harry  was  not  sure  about  it. 
He  saw  that  it  would  pay  him  better  than 
most  kinds  of  business,  and  he  also  discovered 
that  Professor  Hemenway  was  even  better 
off  than  he  had  represented.  Yet  he  was  not 
quite  ready  to  select  the  same  profession,  but, 
being  only  sixteen,  felt  that  he  could  afford  to 
remain  in  it  a  while  longer. 

One  day  the  professor  gave  him  a  surprise. 

"Harry,"  he  said,  as  they  were  jogging 
along  a  dusty  road,  "do  you  think  you  would 
like  to  travel? " 

"I  am  travelling  now,"  answered  Harry, 
with  a  smile. 

"  True,  but  I  don't  mean  that.  Would  you 
like  to  go  on  a  long  journey  ?  " 

"I  should  like  nothing  better,"  replied 
Harry  promptly. 

"I'll  tell  you  what  I  have  been  thinking 
about.  I  recently  read  in  some  paper  that  a 
man  in  my  line  had  made  a  trip  to  Australia, 
and  reaped  a  rich  harvest.     Everywhere  he 


152  FACING   THE   WORLD. 

was  received  with  enthusiasm,  and  made  as 
much  money  in  one  month  as  he  would  do 
here  in  four.  Now,  why  shouldn't  I  go  to 
Australia? " 

Harry's  eyes  sparkled. 

"It  would  be  a  fine  thing  to  do,"  he  said. 

"Then  you  would  be  willing  to  accompany 
me?" 

"I  would  thank  you  for  taking  me," 
answered  the  boy. 

"That  is  well!"  said  the  professor,  in  a 
tone  of  satisfaction.  "I  confess  I  shouldn't 
like  to  go  alone.  It  would  be  a  great  under- 
taking, but  with  a  companion  it  would  seem 
different.  But  is  there  anyone  who  would 
object  to  your  going?" 

"Yes,"  answered  Harry,  smiling,  "Mr.  Fox, 
my  'guardeen,'  would." 

"We  won't  mind  Mr.  Fox.  Very  well, 
then,  Harry,  we  will  consider  it  settled.  I 
shall  rely  on  you  to  help  me  by  your  singing 
there  as  you  do  here.  As  to  your  wages,  I 
may  be  able  to  pay  you  more." 

"Never  mind  about  that,  professor.  It 
will  cost  you  a  good  deal  to  get  us  there.     I 


A   LIBERAL   OFFER.  153 

am  perfectly  willing  to  work  for  the  same  sum 
I  do  now,  or  even  less,  on  account  of  the  ex- 
tension of  the  trip." 

"Then  you  leave  that  matter  to  me.  I 
won't  take  advantage  of  your  confidence,  but 
you  shall  prosper  if  I  do." 

"How  soon  do  you  propose  to  go,  pro- 
fesor?"  asked  Harry,  with  interest. 

"As  soon  as  possible.  I  shall  ascertain 
when  the  first  packet  leaves  Boston,  and  take 
passage  in  her." 

The  professor's  decision  pleased  Harry.  He 
had  been  a  good  scholar  in  geography — indeed 
it  was  his  favorite  study — and  had  besides 
read  as  many  books  of  travel  as  he  could 
lay  his  hands  on.  Often  he  had  wondered 
whether  it  would  ever  be  his  fortune  to  see 
some  of  the  distant  countries  of  which  he  read 
with  so  much  interest.  Though  he  had  cher- 
ished vague  hopes,  he  had  never  really 
expected  it.  Now,  however,  the  unattainable 
seemed  within  his  grasp.  He  would  not  have 
to  wait  till  he  was  a  rich  man,  but  when  still  a 
boy  he  could  travel  to  the  opposite  side  of  the 
world,  paying  his  expenses  as  he  went  along. 


154  FACING   THE  WORLD. 

Two  weeks  passed.  Each  day  they  halted 
in  some  new  place,  and  gave  an  evening  per- 
formance. This  life  of  constant  motion  had  at 
first  seemed  strange  to  Harry.  Now  he  was 
accustomed  to  it.  He  never  felt  nervous  when 
he  appeared  before  an  audience  to  sing,  but 
looked  upon  it  as  a  matter  of  course. 

At  last  they  reached  Boston.  They  were  to 
give  two  entertainments  at  a  hall  at  the  south 
end.  It  was  the  first  large  city  in  which 
Harry  had  sung,  but  he  received  a  welcome 
no  less  cordial  than  that  accorded  to  him  in 
a  country  town. 

They  were  staying  at  a  modest  hotel,  com- 
fortable, but  not  expensive.  Harry  was  sit- 
ting in  the  reading-room,  when  a  servant 
brought  in  a  card.  It  bore  the  rather  remark- 
able name  of 


DE.    MENDELSSOHN   BROWN. 


"A  gentleman  to  see  you,  Mr.  Vane,"  said 
the  servant. 

Harry  rose  and  surveyed  the  stranger  in 
some  surprise.     He  had  long  hair  of  a  reddish 


A   LIBERAL   OFFER.  155 

yellow,  with  an  abundant  beard  of  the  same 
hue.  His  suit  of  worn  black  fitted  him 
poorly,  but  Dr.  Brown  evidently  was  not  a 
devotee  of  dress.  No  tailor  would  ever  point 
to  him,  and  say  with  pride,  "That  man's 
clothes  were  made  at  my  shop." 

"  Do  I  speak  to  Mr.  Harry  Vane,  the  young 
vocalist  ? "  asked  the  stranger,  with  a  deferen- 
tial smile. 

"  That's  my  name,"  answered  our  hero. 

"You  are  alone?" 

"  Yes,  sir,"  said  Harry,  a  little  puzzled. 

"It  is  well.  I  will  come  to  business  at 
once.  You  have  probably  heard  of  me, 
eh?" 

"Probably  I  have,  but  I  do  not  remember 
names  well." 

"  The  name  of  Mendelssohn  Brown  is  pretty 
well  known,  I  flatter  myself,"  said  the  visitor 
complacently.  "To  be  brief — I  heard  you 
sing  last  evening,  and  was  much  pleased  with 
your  vocal  organ." 

Harry  bowed. 

"  I  am  about  to  form  a  juvenile  '  Pinafore ' 
company,  and  would  like   to  have  you  take 


156  FACING  THE   WORLD. 

the  leading  part.  You  would  make  an  ex- 
cellent Admiral.  I  propose  to  take  my  opera 
company  all  over  the  United  States.  I  should 
be  willing  to  pay  you,  as  the  star  performer, 
twenty-five  dollars  a  week." 

Harry  opened  his  eyes  in  amazement. 

"Do  you  think  me  capable  of  singing  in 
opera? "  he  asked. 

"Yes,  after  being  trained  by  your  humble 
servant.     What  do  you  say  ?  " 

"  I  thank  you  for  your  nattering  offer,  Dr. 
Brown,  but  I  don't  feel  at  liberty  to  leave 
Professor  Hemenway." 

The  doctor  frowned. 

"Let  me  tell  you,  you  stand  in  your  own 
light,  Mr.  Vane,"  he  said  impatiently. 
"There  is  some  difference  between  a  common 
juggler  like  the  Magician  of  Madagascar  [the 
doctor  laughed  ironically]  and  a  well-known 
musical  director,  who  could  make  you  famous. 
Does  Hemenway  pay  you  as  much  as  I 
offer?" 

"No,  sir." 

"I  thought  so.  Then  how  can  you  hesi- 
tate?" 


A   LIBERAL   OFFER.  157 

"We  are  about  to  make  an  Australian 
tour,"  answered  Harry,  "and,  apart  from  all 
otlier  considerations,  I  am  glad  to  have  a 
chance  to  travel." 

"Couldn't  you  put  it  off  ?  " 

"No,  sir." 

"Then,"  said  Dr.  Brown,  rather  crest- 
fallen, ' '  I  can  only  bid  you  good-morning.  I 
think  you  are  making  a  mistake." 

"  Perhaps,  after  I  return  from  Australia,  I 
may  be  ready  to  accept  your  offer." 

"It  will  be  too  late,"  said  the  doctor 
gloomily. 

"Twenty-five  dollars  a  week  is  large  pay," 
thought  Harry,  "but  I  don't  believe  I  should 
ever  get  it.  Dr.  Brown  doesn't  look  like  a 
capitalist." 

Half  an  hour  later,  Professor  Hemenway 
entered  the  hotel. 

"  Well,  my  boy,"  he  said,  "  the  die  is  cast ! 
Next  Saturday  we  sail  from  Long  Wharf, 
bound  for  Australia." 

"But,  professor,  I  have  just  had  an  offer  of 
twenty-five  dollars  a  week  to  sing  in  '  Pina- 
fore.' " 


158  FACING  THE   WORLD. 

"And  have  accepted!"  exclaimed  the 
magician  in  dismay. 

"No;  I  respectfully  declined.  I  would 
rather  go  with  you." 

"You  shan't  regret  it,  Harry,"  said  the 
professor,  relieved.  "  If  I  am  prosperous, 
you  shall  share  in  my  prosperity." 

"  Thank  you,  professor,  I  am  sure  of  that. 
What  is  the  name  of  our  vessel  ?  " 

"The  Nantucket.  It's  a  good,  solid-look- 
ing craft,  and  I  think  it  will  bear  us  in  safety 
to  our  destination." 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

THE  PASSENGERS. 

THE  Nantucket  (Captain  Jabez  Hill,  mas- 
ter) was  a  large  vessel,  stanch  and 
strong,  and  bore  a  good  record,  having  been  in 
service  six  years,  and  never  having  in  that 
time  met  a  serious  disaster.  It  was  a  sailing 
vessel,  and  primarily  intended  to  convey 
freight,  but  had  accommodations  for  six  pas- 
sengers. Of  these  it  had  a  full  complement. 
Harry  and  the  professor  I  name  first,  as  those 
in  whom  we  are  most  interested. 

Next  came  John  Appleton,  a  business  man 
from  Melbourne,  who  had  visited  the  United 
States  on  business.  He  was  a  plain,  sub- 
stantial looking  person,  of  perhaps  forty-five. 
Next  came  Montgomery  Clinton  from  Brook- 
lyn, a  young  man  of  twenty-four,  foppishly 
attired,  who  wore  an  eye-glass  and  anxiously 
aped  the  London  swell,  though  born  within 

159 


160  FACING  THE   WORLD. 

sight  of  Boston  State  House.  Harry  regarded 
him  with  considerable  amusement,  and  though 
he  treated  him  with  outward  respect,  mentally 
voted  him  very  soft.  Fifth  on  the  list  was 
a  tall,  sallow,  thin  individual,  with  a  melan- 
choly countenance,  who  was  troubled  with 
numerous  symptoms,  and  was  persuaded  that 
he  had  not  long  to  live.  He  was  from  Penn- 
sylvania. He  carried  with  him  in  his  trunk 
a  large  assortment  of  pills  and  liquid  medi- 
cines, one  or  another  of  which  he  took  about 
once  an  hour.  This  gentleman's  name  was 
Marmaduke  Timmins.  Last  came  a  tall,  lean 
Yankee,  the  discoverer  and  proprietor  of  a 
valuable  invention  which  it  was  his  purpose 
to  introduce  into  Australia.  Mr.  Jonathan 
Stubbs,  for  this  was  his  name,  was  by  no 
means  an  undesirable  addition  to  the  little 
circle,  and  often  excited  a  smile  by  his  quaint 
and  shrewd  observations. 

It  was  the  third  day  at  sea,  when  Harry, 
who  had  suffered  but  little  from  sea-sickness, 
came  on  deck,  after  a  good  dinner,  and  saw 
the  dudish  passenger,  till  now  invisible,  hold- 
ing himself  steady  with  an  effort,  and  gazing 


THE   PASSENGEKS.  161 

sadly  out  upon  the  wild  waste  of  waters  with- 
out the  help  of  his  eye-glass. 

"How  do  you  feel,  Mr.  Clinton?"  asked 
Harry. 

"Horribly,  Mr.  Vane,"  answered  Clinton, 
with  a  languid  shudder.  "  I  never  thought  it 
was  such  a  bore,  crossing  the  ocean,  don't  you 
know?  I've  a  great  idea  of  offering  the  cap- 
tain a  handsome  sum  to  land  me  somewhere, 
I  don't  care  much  where." 

"I  don't  think  we  shall  go  near  any  land, 
Mr.  Clinton.  I  think  you  will  have  to  make 
the  best  of  it." 

"There  isn't  any  best,  Mr.  Vane.  Really, 
I  give  you  my  word  it  has  taken  away  all  my 
ambition.  I  don't  even  care  for  my  looks. 
You  won't  believe  it,  but  I  haven't  shaved 
since  I  came  on  board.  Couldn't  do  it, 
don't  you  know?  My  face  feels  horribly 
rough.  If  this  goes  on  I  shall  soon  look  like 
a  tramp." 

Harry  surveyed  the  smooth,  vacant  counte- 
nance of  his  fellow  passenger,  but  could  not 
discover  the    stubby  beard   which   it   might 
have  been   expected   to   show, 
ll 


162  FACING  THE   W0KLD. 

"  I  look  horrid,  don't  1 1 "  drawled  Clinton. 

"  I  shouldn't  know  but  you  had  shaved  this 
morning,"  said  Harry  bluntly. 

"You  are  very  kind,  I'm  sure,"  lisped  the 
dude,  "  but  I  know  I  am  a  sight  to  behold.  If 
there  were  any  ladies  on  board,  I  should  be 
dreadfully  mortified,  I  give  you  my  word." 

"I  haven't  shaved  myself  since  I  came 
aboard,"  said  Harry  gravely.  "Would  you 
notice  it?" 

"Well,  no,  I  don't  think  I  should,"  an- 
swered Clinton,  after  a  scrutinizing  look. 

"Thank  you,"  said  Harry,  appearing  re- 
lieved, "but  perhaps  that  is  because  you  have 
not  your  eye-glass  with  you." 

"  On  my  honor,  your  face  looks  very  clean. 
You  are  only  a  boy,  you  know." 

"  How  does  it  happen  that  you  are  making 
a  sea  voyage,  Mr.  Clinton  ?" 

Montgomery  Clinton  heaved  a  deep  sigh. 

"You  touch  a  tender  chord,  Mr.  Vane,"  he 
replied.  "  If  I  tell  you  it  must  be  in  strict 
confidence." 

"  You  can  depend  on  me." 

"  Then  I  don't  mind  telling  you.     It  is  a  re- 


THE   PASSENGERS.  163 

lief  to  confide  in  a  friend.     It  is  because  my 
heart  is  broken,  Mr.  Vane." 

"  Indeed !  May  I  ask  how  long  it  has  been 
in  that  condition?"  asked  Harry,  with  com- 
mendable gravity. 

"  Ever  since  I  met  Blanche  Devere  at  Sara- 
toga. She's  a  daisy,  Mr.  Vane,  if  ever  there 
was  one.     I  got  mashed  on  her  directly." 

"Did  she  return  your  affection,  Mr.  Clin- 
ton?" 

"I  think  she  did,"  said  Clinton  pensively. 
"  She  always  smiled  when  she  saw  me. 
Wouldn't  you  regard  that  as  encouraging?" 
"It  seems  like  it,"  answered  Harry 
gravely,  though  he  could  imagine  another 
reason  for  smiling. 

"  One  day  I  proposed  to  Blanche.  She  hesi- 
tated and  appeared  agitated.  Then  she  told 
me  she  had  a  cousin,  a  military  officer,  who 
was  desperately  in  love  with  her,  and  had 
threatened  to  shoot  anyone  else  who  offered 
her  attentions.  She  said  she  expected  him 
the  next  day,  and  said  she  hoped  no  one  would 
tell  him  of  my  attentions." 

"  What  did  you  do,  Mr.  Clinton  ? " 


164  FACING  THE   WORLD. 

"I  left  Saratoga  that  night,  Mr.  Vane," 
answered  Clinton  sadly,  "but  my  heart  was 
broken.  I  decided  to  make  a  sea  voyage, 
hoping  it  would  help  me,  but  I  didn't  know 
the  sea  was  so  beastly  horrid.  I  think  I  shall 
die,  don't  you  know  ?  " 

Hearing  a  step  behind  him  Harry  turned, 
and  his  eye  rested  on  the  melancholy  counte- 
nance of  Marmaduke  Timmins,  the  chronic 
invalid. 

"Good-morning,  Mr.  Timmins,"  said  our 
hero,  "  I  hope  you  stand  the  voyage  well." 

"I've  had  several  new  symptoms  since 
I  came  on  board,"  responded  Mr.  Timmins 
gloomily,  "and  I've  made  a  dreadful  dis- 
covery." 

"What  is  it?"  inquired  Montgomery  Clin- 
ton, in  alarm. 

"I  find  I've  mislaid  or  forgotten  to  bring 
my  box  of  Remedial  pills.  I  don't  know 
what  I  shall  do  without  them." 

"I've  got  a  box  of  Brandeth's  pills  down- 
stairs," said  Clinton.  "You're  welcome  to  a 
part  of  them,  I'm  sure." 

"They    wouldn't  do.     What    can    you   be 


THE   PASSENGERS.  165 

thinking  of,  young  man  ?  Do  yon  think 
there's  no  difference  between  pills?" 

"I'm  sure  I  can't  tell,  don't  you  know?" 

"Young  man,  you  are  sadly  ignorant," 
said  Timmins  severely.  "I've  got  five  other 
kinds  of  pills  downstairs  for  different  mala- 
dies I  am  subject  to,  but  none  of  them  can 
take  the  place  of   Remedial  pills." 

"Will  any  of  them  cure  sea-sickness?" 
asked   the  dude  eagerly. 

"I  can  give  you  a  remedy  for  sea-sickness, 
Mr.  Clinton,"  said  Mr.  Holdfast,  the  mate, 
who  chanced   to  overhear  the  inquiry. 

"What  is  it,  Mr.  Holdfast?  I  shall  be 
really  grateful,  I  assure  you,  if  you  can  cure 
that  beastly  malady." 

"  Swallow  a  piece  of  raw  salt  pork  about  an 
inch  square,"  said  the  mate  gravely,  "and 
follow  it  up  by  a  glass  of  sea- water,  taken  at  a 
gulp." 

"That's  horrid,  awfully  horrid!"  gasped 
Clinton,  shuddering  and  looking  very  pale. 
"It  actually  makes  me  sick  to  think  of  it, 
don't  you  know?"  and  he  retreated  to  the 
cabin,  with  one  hand  pressed  on  his  stomach. 


166  FACING  THE  WORLD. 

"That  young  man's  a  fool,"  said  Mr. 
Timmins.  "He  knows  no  more  of  pills  than 
a  baby." 

"Nor  do  I,  Mr.  Timmins,"  said  Harry, 
smiling. 

"  I  pity  you,  then.  My  life  has  been  saved 
several  times  by  pills." 

"I'd  rather  live  without  them." 

Marmaduke  shook  his  head  as  he  walked 
away. 

"That  man's  a  walking  drug-store,"  said 
the  mate,  looking  after  him.  "I'd  rather  go 
to  Davy's  locker,  and  be  done  with  it,  than  nil 
myself  up  with  pills  and  potions." 

"You're  looking  chipper,  my  boy,"  said  a 
new-comer,  in  a  nasal  voice.  "Haven't  been 
sea-sick,  I  guess." 

Harry  recognized  the  voice  of  the  Yankee 
inventor,  Mr.  Jonathan  Stubbs. 

"No,  sir  ;  I  have  had  very  little  trouble." 

"I'm  goin'  to  get  up  a  cure  for  sea-sickness 
when  I  have  time — a  kind  of  a  self-acting, 
automatic  belt — I  guess  there's  money  in 
it." 

"  It  would  be  a  great  blessing,  Mr.  Stubbs. 


THE   PASSENGERS.  167 

Poor  Mr.  Clinton  would,  no  doubt,  be  glad  to 
buy  it." 

"Do  you  mean  that  languishin'  creeterwith 
an  eye-glass  and  spindle  legs?  What  are 
such  fellers  made  for?" 

"  Rather  for  ornament  than  use,"  answered 
Harry  gravely. 

The  Yankee  burst  into  a  loud  guffaw,  and 
regarded  Harry's  remark  as  a  capital  joke. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

A   CLOUD   IN  THE   SKY. 

THE  voyage  was  to  be  a  long  one,  and  after 
a  couple  of  weeks  all  had  their  sea-legs 
on.  All  had  become  acquainted,  and  settled 
down  to  a  regular  routine.  But  the  time 
dragged,  and  as  there  were  no  morning  or 
evening  papers,  something  seemed  necessary 
to  break  up  the  monotony. 

"Harry,"  said  the  professor,  "I  have  an 
idea." 

"What  is  it,  prof  essor  ?  " 

' '  Suppose  we  give  an  exhibition  for  the 
benefit  of  our  fellow  passengers  and  the 
crew." 

"  Why  do  you  say  we,  professor  ?  " 

"Because  I  shall  want  you  to  assist  me,  as 
you  did  on  shore." 

"  I  am  ready  to  do  my  part." 

"  Then  I  will  speak  to  the  captain." 

168 


A   CLOUD   IN   THE   SKY.  169 

The  result  was  that  on  the  first  quiet  day- 
Professor  Hemenway  and  his  assistant  gave 
a  matinee  performance  on  the  deck  of  the 
Nantucket,  at  which  all  who  could  possibly 
be  spared  were  present.  To  some  of  the 
sailors  it  was  a  novelty,  and  the  magician's 
mysterious  tricks  actually  inspired  some  with 
the  feeling  that  he  was  possessed  of  super- 
natural powers. 

"  Will  you  lend  me  your  hat,  Mr.  Clinton  \  " 
he  asked  presently  of  the  dude. 

"Certainly,  professor,"  drawled  the  young 
man. 

The  professor  took  it,  and  tapped  it. 

"  Are  you  sure  there  is  nothing  in  it  ?"  he 
asked. 

"I  am  sure  of  it.  Really,  I  don't  carry 
things  in  my  hat,  don't  you  know  ?" 

"What  do  you  say  to  this,  then?"  and 
Professor  Hemenway  drew  out  of  the  hat 
half  a  dozen  onions,  a  couple  of  potatoes,  and 
a  ship  biscuit. 

"My  dear  sir,  I  think  you  are  mistaken," 
he  said.  ' '  I  see  you  carry  your  lunch  in  your 
hat." 


170  FACING   THE  WORLD. 

All  present  laughed  at  the  horrified  face  of 
the  dude. 

"On  my  honor,  I  don't  know  how  these 
horrid  things  came  in  my  hat,"  he  stammered. 

"Are  you  fond  of  onions,  Mr.  Clinton  \ " 
asked  Harry  gravely. 

"I  wouldn't  eat  one  for — for  a  new  suit  of 
clothes  !  "  protested  Clinton  earnestly. 

"Allow  me  to  return  your  hat,  Mr.  Clinton," 
said  the  professor  politely.  "  I  suppose  you 
want  the  vegetables  too.  Here  are  the  onions, 
and  the  rest." 

"They  are  not  mine,  on  my  honor,"  said 
Clinton,  very  much  embarrassed.  "Here,  my 
good  man,  can  you  make  use  of  these  ?." 

The  sailor  whom  he  addressed  accepted  the 
gift  with  a  grin. 

"  Thank  you  kindly,  sir,"  he  said,  "  if  so  be 
as  I  aint  a-robbin'  you." 

"  I  have  no  use  for  them,  my  good  man.  I 
never  ate  an  onion  in  my  life." 

"Then  I  don't  think  you  know  what's 
good,"  said  Mr.  Stubbs.  "An  onion,  let  me 
tell  you,  is  mighty  good  eatin',  and  healthy, 
too." 


A   CLOUD   IN   THE   SKY.  171 

At  the  close  of  the  magical  entertainment, 
Harry  sang  by  request,  and  no  part  of  the  per- 
formance was  more  popular.  He  received 
many  congratulations. 

"  Really,  Mr.  Vane,  you  sing  like  a  nightin- 
gale, don't  you  know?"  was  the  tribute  of 
Clinton. 

"  Bless  me  !  "  said  Mr.  Timmins,  "  I  was  so 
absorbed  in  your  song  that  I  have  forgotten  to 
take  my  catarrh  medicine." 

"Thank  you,  sir;  that  is  the  best  compli- 
ment I  have  received,"  returned  Harry  with  a 
smile. 

Mr.  Timmins  did  not  hear  him.  He  was 
already  half  way  below,  in  haste  to  repair 
his  omission. 

Little  has  been  said  thus  far  of  Captain 
Hill,  the  master  of  the  Nantucket.  He  was  a 
stout,  red-faced  seaman,  nearing  fifty  years  of 
age,  and  had  been  in  service  ever  since  he  was 
fifteen.  He  was  a  thorough  sailor,  and  fitted 
in  every  way  but  one  to  take  charge  of  a  ship 
bound  to  any  part  of  the  world.  His  one  dis- 
qualification may  be  stated  briefly — he  had  a 
passion  for  drink. 


172  FACING   THE   WORLD. 

It  was  not  immediately  that  this  was  found 
out.  He  took  his  meals  with  the  passengers, 
but  it  was  not  then  that  he  indulged  his  appe- 
tite. He  kept  a  private  store  of  liquors  in  his 
cabin,  and  had  recourse  to  them  when  by  him- 
self, under  the  impression  that  he  could  keep 
it  a  secret.  But  intemperance,  like  murder, 
will  out. 

Harry  and  the  professor  were  standing  by 
the  rail  looking  out  to  sea,  one  day,  when  a 
thick  voice  greeted  them,  "Good  morn'n, 
gentlemen" — this  address  being  followed  by 
a  hiccough. 

Both  turned  quickly,  and  exchanged  a  sig- 
nificant glance  when  they  recognized  the 
captain. 

"Yes,"  answered  Professor  Hemenway, 
"it  is   indeed   a   fine   morning." 

"That's  what  I  shay,"  responded  the  cap- 
tain in  a  combative  tone,  "  and  what  I  shay  I 
mean." 

Professor  Hemenway  answered  him  in  a 
conciliatory  way,  and  shortly  after  the  captain 
resumed  his  march,  plainly  unsteady  on  his 
legs. 


A   CLOUD   IN   THE   SKY.  173 

"I  am  sorry  to  see  this,  Harry,"  said  the 
professor  gravely. 

"Yes,  sir;  it  is  a  pity  any  gentleman 
should   drink  too   much." 

"  Yes,  but  that  isn't  all,"  said  the  profes- 
sor earnestly  ;  "it  is  a  pity,  of  course,  that 
Captain  Hill  should  so  sin  against  his  own 
health,  but  we  must  consider  furthermore  that 
he  has  our  lives  under  his  control.  Our 
safety  depends  on  his  prudent  management." 

"  He  seems  to  understand  his  business," 
said  Harry. 

"Granted;  but  no  man,  however  good  a 
seaman,  is  fit  to  manage  a  vessel  when  he 
allows  liquor  to  rob  him  of  his  senses.  I 
wish  I  had  known  beforehand  the  captain's 
infirmity." 

"  Suppose  you  had,  sir  \  " 

"  I  wouldn't  have  trusted  myself  on  board 
the  Nantucket,  you  may  be  sure  of  that." 

"  It  may  be  only  an  exceptional  case." 

"  Let  us  hope  so." 

This  happened  when  they  were  a  week  out. 
It  must  be  stated  that  the  captain  did  not 
for  a  long  time  expose  himself  to  observation 


174  FACING  THE   WORLD. 

again  when  under  the  influence  of  his  pota- 
tions. Yet  that  he  still  continued  them  was 
evident  enough  from  his  appearance.  There 
are  certain  indications  that  may  be  read  in 
the  face  of  an  intemperate  man  by  anyone  of 
experience,  and  these  convinced  not  only  the 
professor  but  others  that  Captain  Hill  drank 
every  day. 

The  next  occasion  on  which  the  captain  dis- 
played his  infirmity  was  rather  a  laughable 
one.  He  came  up  from  the  cabin  about  three 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon  so  full  that  he  was 
forced  to  stagger  as  he  walked.  Directly  in 
front  of  him  the  young  dude,  Montgomery 
Clinton,  was  pacing  the  deck,  carrying  in  his 
hand  a  rattan  cane  such  as  he  used  on  shore. 
As  he  overhauled  him,  Captain  Hill,  with  the 
instinct  of  a  drunken  man,  locked  arms  with 
the  young  man,  and  forced  him  to  promenade 
in  his  company,  talking  rather  incoherently 
meanwhile.  Clinton's  look  of  distress  and 
perplexity,  as  he  submitted  to  his  fate,  caused 
Harry  nearly  to  explode  with  laughter.  They 
were  indeed  a  singular  pair. 

Finally  there  came  a  disaster.     A  lurch  of 


a  cloud  nsr  the  sky.  175 

the  vessel  proved  too  much  for  the  captain, 
who,  in  losing  his  equilibrium,  also  upset 
Clinton,  and  the  two  rolled  down  under  one  of 
the  ship's  boats  which  was  slung  up  on  one 
side. 

Montgomery  Clinton  picked  himself  up  and 
hurriedly  betook  himself  to  his  cabin,  fearing 
that  he  might  fall  again  into  the  clutches  of 
his  unwelcome  companion.  The  captain  was 
helped  to  his  feet  by  the  mate,  and  was  per- 
suaded also  to  go  below. 

"The  captain  was  pretty  well  slewed,  pro- 
fessor," said  Mr.  Stubbs,  who  chanced  to  be 
on  deck  at  the  time. 

"It  looks  like  it,"  answered  Professor  Heui- 
enway  gravely. 

"  If  he  does  that  often  it'll  be  a  bad  lookout 
for  us." 

"Just  what  I  am  thinking,  Mr.  Stubbs.  I 
wish  we  could  do  something  about  it.  I  feel 
that  our  lives  may  be  in  peril  from  this  unfor- 
tunate weakness  of  the  captain." 

"  I've  a  great  mind  to  speak  to  Captain  Hill 
about  it.  He  ought  to  have  his  duty  set 
before  him." 


176  FACING  THE   WORLD. 

"If  you  don't  object,  it  may  be  advisable 
to  do  so,  Mr.  Stubbs." 

Jonathan  Stubbs,  who  was  a  very  free- 
spoken  person,  took  an  early  occasion  to 
carry  out  his  plan,  but  with  ill  success.  Cap- 
tain Hill  became  furiously  angry,  vowed  that 
Stubbs  had  insulted  him,  that  he  had  never 
drunk  too  much  in  his  life,  and  threatened  to 
put  him  in  irons  if  he  repeated  the  offence. 

Mr.  Stubbs  was  not  frightened,  but  saw  that 
further  remonstrance  would  be  unavailing. 
He  shrugged  his  shoulders,  and  walked  away. 

"There's  no  arguing  with  a  fool  or  a 
drunkard,"  he  said  to  the  professor. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

THE  YOUNG  SAILOK. 

THE  crew  of  the  Nantucket  consisted  of 
twelve  sailors  and  a  boy,  not  counting 
the  officers.  This  boy  was  about  Harry's  age, 
but  an  inch  or  two  shorter,  and  with  greater 
breadth  of  shoulders.  He  had  a  good-natured 
face,  and  was  a  general  favorite  on  board,  as 
is  apt  to  be  the  case  with  a  boy,  if  he  pos- 
sesses any  attractive  qualities.  He  came  from 
New  Hampshire  and  he  was  known  as  Jack. 

It  was  natural  that  Harry,  as  the  only  other 
boy  on  board,  though  a  passenger,  should  be 
attracted  to  Jack.  He  took  an  opportunity 
when  Jack  was  off  duty  to  have  a  chat  with 
him. 

"  How  long  have  you  been  a  sailor,  Jack  ?  " 
he  asked. 

"Three  years.  I  first  went  to  sea  when 
I  was  thirteen." 

12  «f 


178  FACING  THE   WORLD. 

"  How  did  you  happen  to  go  in  the  first 
place?" 

"Well,  you  see,  Mr.  Vane " 

"Call  me  Harry.  I  am  only  a  boy  like 
yourself." 

"So  I  will,  if  you  don't  mind.  Well, 
Harry,  I  may  say,  to  begin  with,  that  I  always 
liked  the  water.  I  was  born  in  a  little  vil- 
lage bordering  on  Lake  Winnipiseogee,  and 
was  out  on  the  lake  whenever  I  could  get  the 
chance,  either  in  a  row-boat  or  sail-boat.  I 
felt  as  much  at  home  on  the  water  as  on  the 
land.  Still,  I  never  should  have  gone  to  sea 
but  for  my  step-father." 

"Then   you  have  a  step-father." 

"Yes.  My  father  died  when  I  was  ten, 
leaving  my  mother  a  little  farm  and  a  com- 
fortable house.  I  was  a  young  boy,  and  it  is 
hard  for  a  woman  to  carry  on  a  farm.  A  man 
came  into  town,  and  started  in  some  small 
business.  He  pretended  that  he  had  money, 
but  I  guess  he  had  precious  little.  At  any 
rate  he  didn't  object  to  more.  Pretty  soon  he 
fixed  his  eyes  on  our  farm,  and  finding  that 
mother  owned  it  clear,  he  got  to  coming  round 


THE   YOUNG    SAILOR.  179 

pretty  often.  I  never  liked  him,  though  he 
pretended  to  be  fond  of  me,  and  used  to  pat 
me  on  the  head  and  bring  me  candy.  I  won- 
dered what  made  him  come  so  often,  but  I 
didn't  mistrust  anything  till  one  day  mother 
called  me  and  said  she  had  something  impor- 
tant to  say  to  me. 

"  '  Jack, '  she  said,  '  what  do  you  think  of 
Mr.  Bannock  ? ' 

"  '  I  don't  think  much  of  him,'  I  answered  ; 
'  what  makes  him  come  here  so  often  \ ' 

"'He's  going  to  come  here  oftener,'  she 
said,  looking  displeased. 

"  '  Then  he  might  as  Avell  board  here,'  said  I. 

" '  He's  going  to  live  here,'  answered 
mother. 

"'What's  that  for?'  I  asked,  still  not 
dreaming  of  the  truth.  But  it  all  came  out  in 
a  minute  when  she  said,  '  He  is  to  be  your 
father,  Jack.  I  have  promised  to  marry 
him.' 

"  '  You  may  marry  him,'  I  answered  hotly, 
'  but  he  will  be  no  father  of  mine.  My  father 
lies  in  the  churchyard.  I  wish  he  were  alive 
again.' 


180  FACING   THE   WORLD. 

"  'So  do  I,  Jack,'  said  mother,  wiping  her 
eyes,  'but  we  know  that  can't  be.' 

"  '  What  makes  you  marry  again,  mother  ? ' 
I  asked. 

"  '  I  need  someone  to  look  after  me  and  the 
farm,  Jack,'  said  mother.  '  A  woman  has  a 
hard  lot  when  she  is  alone.' 

" '  Wait  till  I  am  old  enough,  and  I  will 
take  care  of  the  farm,  mother.  Don't  marry 
that  man  ! '  I  pleaded.  '  What  does  he  know 
of  farming  anyway  ?     He  keeps  a  store.' 

"'His  father  was  a  farmer,  and  he  was 
brought   up   on   a   farm,'  answered   mother. 

"Well,  I  teased  and  teased  her  not  to 
marry  Mr.  Bannock,  but  it  was  no  use.  She 
had  given  her  promise,  and  her  mind  was 
made  up.  It  wasn't  long  before  the  wedding, 
which  I  wouldn't  attend,  and  mother  became 
Mrs.  Bannock.  It  wasn't  long  before  old 
Bannock  showed  himself  up  in  his  true  colors. 
It  turned  out  that  he  was  worth  scarcely  any- 
thing. Though  the  farm  was  still  mother's, 
he  got  her  to  agree  to  have  a  mortgage  placed 
on  it,  and  the  money  he  put  into  his  busi- 
ness." 


THE   YOUNG    SAILOR.  181 

"How  did  he  treat  yon,  Jack?"  asked 
Harry,  interested. 

"  I  am  coming  to  that.  He  never  liked  me, 
especially  when  he  found  I  didn't  attend  the 
wedding,  and  didn't  like  him  at  all.  He  tried 
to  impose  upon  me,  and  order  me  round,  but 
he  didn't  make  out  much.  Still  he  was 
always  annoying  me  in  mean  little  ways,  and 
finally  I  got  all  I  could  stand,  and  the  long 
and  short  of  it  is,  that  I  ran  away  to  Ports- 
mouth, and  went  on  a  coasting  voyage.  After 
I  got  back  I  shipped  from  Boston  for  Liver- 
pool, and  ever  since  I've  kept  sailing  in  one 
direction  or  another.  This  will  be  my  longest 
voyage." 

"Haven't  you  been  to  see  your  mother 
since  you  left  home  three  years  ago?"  Harry 
inquired. 

"  'Of  course  I  have,"  said  Jack  promptly. 
"  I  always  go  to  see  her  as  soon  as  I  get  home 
from  a  voyage." 

"  Do  you  ever  see  your  step-father  ? " 

"I  have  seen  him  twice.  Once  he  was  out 
of  town,  and  I  wasn't  sorry." 

"Has  he  ever  tried  to  detain  you  ?  " 


182  FACING  THE  WORLD. 

"No,  the  fact  is,"  said  Jack,  laughing,  "I 
expect  he  was  very  well  content  to  be  rid  of 
me.  He  made  up  his  mind  that  I  was  a  pretty 
hard  boy  for  him  to  manage.  There's  only 
one  reason  why  I  should  like  to  be  at  home." 

"  What  is  that  ?  " 

"  So  that  I  could  stand  between  my  mother 
and  that  man,"  said  Jack  gravely. 

"  I  kcype  he  doesn't  ill-treat  her." 

"He  doesn't  strike  her,  if  that's  what  you 
mean.  I'd  like  to  see  him  do  it !  "  exclaimed 
Jack,  with  flashing  eyes.  "But  he  teases  her, 
and  has  his  own  way  in  .everything,  but  she 
won't  allow  anyone  to  interfere.  Poor 
mother  !  she  was  looking  pale  and  thin,  when 
I  saw  her  three  weeks  ago.  I  am  sure  she  has 
repented  marrying,  but  she  won't  own  up. 
When   I'm  a   man " 

"  Well,  Jack,  when  you're  a  man  ? " 

"I'll  see  that  she  has  a  better  time,  and 
if  old  Bannock  don't  like  it  he  can  clear  out. 
I  think  he  will,  anyway." 

"Clear  out?" 

"Yes;  he  will  have  spent  all  the  property 
by  that  time,  and  when  that  is  done  he  won't 


THE   YOUNG   SAILOR.  183 

make  much  objection  to  going  away.  Then  I 
will  take  care  of  mother,  and  see  that  she  does 
not  suffer  for  anything." 

"You  are  right,  Jack.  I  sympathize  with 
you.  I  hope  you'll  succeed.  I  only  wish  I 
had  a  mother  to  look  out  for,"  and  Harry's 
fine  face  wore  an  expression  of  sadness. 
"But  there's  one  thing  I  can't  help  saying, 
though  I  don't  want  to  discourage   you." 

"What  is  that,  Harry?" 

"I  don't  see  how  you  are  going  to  lay  up 
much  money  in  going  before  the  mast.  Your 
pay  must  be  small." 

"It  is.  I  only  earn  ten  dollars  a  month," 
replied  Jack. 

"And  out  of  that  you  must  buy  your 
clothes?" 

"Yes,  that's  true." 

"Then  how  do  you  expect  to  better  your- 
self?" asked  Harry,  looking  puzzled. 

"I'll  tell  you  if  you  won't  say  anything 
about  it,"  answered   Jack,  in  a  lower  tone. 

"Go  ahead." 

"We  are  going  to  Australia,  you  know. 
I've  heard  there  are  good  chances  of  making 


184  FACING   THE   WORLD. 

money  there,  in  mining  or  herding  cattle, 
and  I  mean  to  leave  the  ship  at  Melbourne. 
Of  course  I  don't  want  anything  said  about 
it." 

"Would  the  captain  try  to  prevent  you, 
Jack?" 

"I  think  he  would.  He  don't  like  me  at 
any  rate." 

"Why  not?" 

"  That  is  more  than  I  can  tell,  but  I  can  see 
that  he  has  a  prejudice  against  me." 

The  boys  were  so  absorbed  in  their  conver- 
sation that  they  did  not  notice  the  approach 
of  the  captain  till  his  harsh  voice  was  heard. 

"What  are  you  two  boys  chattering 
about?"  he  demanded   with   a  frown. 

Jack  turned  round  startled,  but  Harry  faced 
the  captain  calmly,  and  did  not  speak. 

"  Will  you  answer  me  ? "  he  repeated,  rais- 
ing his  voice. 

"I  was  talking  about  home  and  my 
mother,"  said  Jack. 

"  Mighty  interesting,  upon  my  word  !  And 
what  were  you  talking  about?"  continued 
Captain  Hill,  turning  to  Harry. 


THE  YOUNG   SAILOK.  185 

"  That  can  be  of  no  interest  to  you,  Cap- 
tain Hill,"  said  Harry  coldly.  "You  appear 
to  forget  that  I  am  a  passenger." 

As  he  walked  away,  the  captain  regarded 
him  with  an  ominous  scowl.  He  wished  that 
for  fifteen  minutes  Harry  had  been  one  of 
the  crew.  It  was  fortunate  for  Jack  that  his 
temper  was  diverted  ;  for  apparently  forget- 
ting the  young  sailor,  he  strode  on,  and  Jack 
managed  to  slip  down  to  the  forecastle. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

HAEEY'S   DAEING   ACT 

THIS  was  not  by  any  means  the  last  con- 
versation Harry  had  with  Jack  Pendle- 
ton— for  this  he  found  to  be  the  young  sail- 
or's name — and  they  soon  became  excellent 
friends. 

"Jack,"  said  Harry  one  day,  "I  never 
should  take  you  to  be  a  sailor  if  I  met  you  on 
land." 

"Why  not?" 

"  You  don't  talk  like  one." 

Jack  smiled. 

"I  suppose  you  mean  that  I  never  say 
'shiver  my  timbers,'  and  use  other  like  ex- 
pressions." 

"  No  ;  but  because  you  talk  like  a  well  edu- 
cated boy." 

"  So  I  am.  I  was  always  fond  of  my  books, 
and  stood  high  in  school.     But  for  my  step- 

186 


harry'  s  daring  act.  187 

father  I  might  be  there  yet.  As  it  is,  my  edu- 
cation stopped  at  the  age  of  thirteen." 

"  Not  necessarily.  You  have  learned  a  good 
deal  since." 

"  Yes,  but  not  of  books.  I  hope  some  time 
to  be  able  to  continue  my  studies.  At  present 
it  is  my  business  to  learn  seamanship." 

Harry  had  the  more  time  on  his  hands,  as 
his  travelling  companion,  the  professor,  took 
sick  and  was  confined  for  three  or  four  weeks 
to  his  cabin.  There  was  no  danger,  but  still 
the  ship's  surgeon  advised  him  to  stay 
below. 

"  What  makes  you  keep  company  with  that 
sailor  boy,  Mr.  Vane?"  asked  Montgomery 
Clinton,  who  would  have  liked  more  of  Harry's 
society  himself. 

"Why  shouldn't  I?" 

"Because  he  is  a  common  sailor,  don't  you 
know  ?" 

"  I  think  he  is  rather  an  uncommon  sailor. 
He  is  very  well  educated." 

"Oh,  yes,  I  suppose  he  can  read  and  write  ; 
but  of  course  be  can  never  be  admitted  into 
society,  don't  you  know?" 


188  FACING   THE   WORLD. 

"No,  I  don't,  Mr.  Clinton.  He  may  be  a 
captain  some  clay." 

"  But  he  isn't  now.  I  give  you  my  word  I 
noticed  this  morning,  Avhen  you  were  speaking 
with  him,  that  his  fingers  were  soiled  with  tar. 
That's  horrid,  you  know." 

"  Don't  you  think  he's  a  good  looking  boy, 
Mr.  Clinton?" 

"Well,  yes,  for  one  of  the  lower  orders, 
Mr.  Vane." 

"  You  forget  we  don't  have  any  distinction 
of  classes  in  America." 

"  Don't  we,  though  ?  By  Jove  !  Mr.  Vane, 
you  don't  put  yourself  on 'a  level  with  those 
creatures  that  dig  ditches  and  climb  masts — 
and  such  things?" 

"Your  sentiments  are  very  undemocratic, 
Mr.  Clinton.  You  ought  to  have  been  born 
in  England." 

"I  wish  I  had  been.  I  like  their  institu- 
tions a  good  deal  better  than  ours,  don't  you 
know?" 

"  When  I  first  spoke  with  you,  Mr.  Clinton, 
I  thought  you  might  be  an  Englishman." 

"Did  you  really?"  inquired  Clinton,  with 


harry's  daring  act.  189 

evident  pleasure.  "I'm  often  taken  for  an 
Englishman,  on  my  honor.  I  don't  know 
why  it  is,  but  positively  Tin  often  asked 
when  I  came  from  the  other  side." 

"Would  you  rather  be  taken  for  an  Eng- 
lishman than  an  American  ?" 

"Well,  you  se3,  there  are  some  Americans 
that  are  so  vulgar,  don't  you  know?  Talk 
through  their  noses,  and  all  that." 

"  Where  were  you  born,  Mr.  Clinton  ? " 

"  In  Massachusetts,  not  far  from  Boston." 

"  Then  you  are  a  Yankee." 

"Oh,  don't  call  me  that,  Mr.  Vane.  I 
really  couldn't  stand  it.  People  always  think 
of  a  Yankee  as  a  tall,  slab-sided  individual, 
like  Asa  Trenchard  in  the  play  of  '  Our 
American  Cousin.'  " 

"  But  he's  a  much  more  creditable  character 
than  Lord  Dundreary"  said  Harry,  who  had 
once  seen  the  play  performed  by  a  travelling 
company  in  the  town  hall  of  his  native  place. 
"Dundreary,  though  a  lord,  was  a  perfect 
idiot." 

"  Still  he  knew  how  to  behave  in  society, 
and  wore  good  clothes." 


190  FACING  THE  WORLD. 

"  Would  you  prefer  to  be  Lord  Dundreary 
rather  than  Asa  TrencJiard  f  " 

"  Of  course.  How  can  you  ask  the  ques- 
tion, Mr.  Vane?" 

Harry  smiled. 

"  I  wanted  to  get  your  idea  on  the  subject," 
he  said. 

' '  By  the  way,  Mr.  Vane,  are  you  descended 
from  Sir  Henry  Vane,  one  of  the  royal  gov- 
ernors of  Massachusetts  ?  I  have  been  mean- 
ing to  ask  you." 

"I  can't  tell,  Mr.  Clinton;  but  my  name 
happens  to  be  the  same — Harry." 

"  Really,  that  is  very  interesting.  I  should 
think  you  would  look  up  the  matter." 

"Perhaps  I  will  when  I  return  home," 
said  Harry,  who  cared  very  little  about  the 
matter.  From  this  time,  however,  Clinton 
regarded  him  with  increased  respect,  and 
manifested  an  increased  liking  for  his  society, 
from  his  supposed  aristocratic  lineage.  Our 
hero  treated  him  with  good-natured  tolera- 
tion, but  much  preferred  the  company  of  Jack 
Pendleton,  sailor  as  he  was,  though  his  fin- 
gers were  not  infrequently  smeared  with  tar. 


harry' s  daring  act.  191 

Harry  did  not  mind  this,  but  was  attracted  by 
the  frank,  good-humored  face  of  young  Jack, 
and  was  always  glad  to  have  a  chat  with 
him.  He  had  a  chance,  though  at  some 
personal  risk,  to  do  him  a  signal  service 
before  long. 

The  captain's  habits,  it  must  be  said,  did 
not  improve.  His  stock  of  liquor  was  ample, 
and  he  continued  to  indulge  himself.  Gener- 
ally he  kept  within  safe  bounds,  but  at  times 
he  allowed  his  appetite  to  get  the  better  of 
him.  Whenever  that  happened,  it  was  for- 
tunate if  he  drank  himself  into  a  state  of 
stupefaction  and  remained  in  his  cabin, 
leaving  the  management  of  the  ship  to  the 
mate,  Mr.  Holdfast,  who  was  thoroughly 
temperate.  Unfortunately,  he  was  not  always 
content  to  remain  in  the  cabin.  He  would 
stagger  on  deck  and  give  orders  which  might, 
or  might  not,  be  judicious. 

Of  course  this  state  of  things  was  perfectly 
well  understood  on  board.  One  of  the  pas- 
sengers in  an  interview  with  the  mate,  tried 
to  draw  him  out  on  the  subject,  and  asked 
him,  if  matters  should  absolutely  require  it, 


192  FACING   THE   WORLD. 

whether  he  would  assume  command  of  the 
ship. 

"  I  would  rather  not  express  myself  on  that 
point,"  said  Holdfast  cautiously.  "As  a  sub- 
ordinate, it  would  not  be  becoming.  It  will  be 
time  enough  when  the  contingency  you  speak 
of  arrives." 

With  this  they  had  to  be  satisfied.  Indeed 
they  thought  that  the  mate  was  right,  and  his 
caution  increased  their  respect  for  him. 

One  day — it  was  about  a  month  after  they 
left  port — Captain  Hill  came  up  on  deck  in 
one  of  his  worst  fits  of  intoxication.  All  the 
passengers  were  on  deck,  it  being  a  fair  day. 
They  regarded  the  captain  with  alarm,  for  in 
his  hand  he  held  a  pistol,  which  he  carried  in 
such  careless  style  that  it  might  be  discharged 
at  any  time. 

Jack  Pendleton  had  been  sent  up  to  the 
mast-head  on  some  duty  by  the  mate.  The 
captain's  roving  eyes  fell  upon  him,  and  the 
dislike  he  felt  for  the  boy  found  vent. 

"  What  are  you  doing  up  there,  you  young 
lubber?"  he  shouted. 

"  Mr.  Holdfast  sent  me,"  answered  Jack. 


harry's  daring  act.  193 

"  You  lie!"  roared  the  captain.  "I'll 
teach  you  to  lie  to  me  !  " 

"I'll  come  down,  sir,"  said  Jack,  "if  you 
say  so." 

"I'll  bring  you  down!"  shouted  the  cap- 
tain furiously,  as  he  deliberately  pointed  the 
pistol  at  the  boy,  and  prepared  to  pull  the 
trigger. 

There  was  a  cry  of  horror  on  the  part  of  the 
passengers  as  they  saw  the  insane  act  of  the 
captain,  and  realized  the  peril  of  poor  Jack. 
But  in  spite  of  all,  the  boy  would  probably 
have  fallen  a  victim  to  the  drunken  fury  of 
Captain  Hill.  Jack  himself  fully  understood 
his  danger,  and  his  ruddy  face  turned  pale. 
His  life  hung  in  the  balance,  and  was  saved 
only  by  the  courage  of  his  boy-friend, 
Harry. 

Of  all  the  passengers,  Harry  stood  nearest 
to  the  captain.  When  he  saw  the  pistol 
pointed  at  Jack  he  did  not  stop  to  think,  but 
made  a  bound,  and  dashed  the  weapon  from 
the  captain's  hand.  It  was  discharged,  but 
the  bullet  sped  over  the  rail  and  dropped 
into  the  ocean.     Nor  did  Harry  stop  here. 

13 


194  FACING  THE   WORLD. 

He  seized  the  fallen  pistol,  and  hurled  it  over 
the  side  of  the  vessel. 

The  captain  was  for  a  moment  stupefied  by 
the  suddenness  of  the  act.  Then  in  a  voice 
of  fury,  he  exclaimed,  pointing  to  Harry, 
"Put  that  boy  in  irons  !" 


CHAPTER  XXIII, 

A   SENSATIONAL   SCENE. 

PUT  that  boy  in  irons  !  "  repeated  Captain 
Hill,  his  eyes  blazing  with  anger. 

Not  a  sailor  stirred.  There  was  not  one 
that  did  not  admire  Harry's  promptness, 
which  had  saved  Jack's  life  and  prevented 
the  captain  from  becoming  a  murderer. 

"Here,  you  two  men,  seize  the  boy,  and 
carry  him  below  !  "  exclaimed  the  captain,  ad- 
dressing Brown  and  Higgins,  the  two  sailors 
nearest. 

The  two  men  looked  at  each  other,  moved 
a  step  forward,  and  then  stopped. 

"Is  this  mutiny  ?  "  roared  the  captain  with 
a  blood-curdling  oath.  "Am  I  master  in  my 
own  ship  or  not  \  ' ' 

What  might  have  been  the  issue  it  is  hard 
to  tell,  had  not  the  Yankee  passenger  already 
referred  to,  Jonathan  Stubbs,  come  forward, 
and  taken  up  the  gauntlet. 

195 


196  FACING   THE   WORLD. 

"Look  here,  cap'n,"  he  commenced  in  a 
drawling  tone,  "what's  all  this  fuss  you're 
kickin'  up  1    You're  kinder  riled,  aint  you  ?" 

"Who  are  you  that  dare  to  bandy  words  with 
me?"  roared  the  captain,  with  a  terrific  frown. 

"I  thought  you  knew  my  name,"  answered 
the  Yankee,  with  imperturbable  coolness ; 
"but  if  you  don't  here  is  my  card  ;"  and  he 
deliberately  drew  a  card  from  his  pocket,  and 
tendered  it  to  the  captain. 

Captain  Hill  struck  it  from  his  hand,  and 
it  fell  upon  the  deck. 

"That  is  the  way  I  treat  your  card,  sir. 
Men,  do  you  hear  me  ?  Put  that  boy  in  irons  ; 
or  must  I  do  it  myself  %  " 

"  Look  here,  cap'n,  let's  argy  that  matter  a 
little,"  said  Stubbs.  "  What's  the  boy  to  be 
put  in  irons  for  ?" 

"For  grossly  insulting  me,  and  defying  my 
authority,  sir." 

"He  has  prevented  your  committing  mur- 
der, if  that's  what  you  mean.  You  ought  to 
thank  him." 

"Take  care,  sir!"  thundered  the  captain, 
"or  I  may  put  you  in  irons  also." 


A   SENSATIONAL   SCENE.  197 

"  I  reckon  you  might  find  a  little  opposi- 
tion," said  the  Yankee  quietly.  "I'm  a 
passenger  on  this  vessel,  Captain  Hill,  and 
your  authority  doesn't  extend  to  me." 

"We'll  see  about  that,  sir,"  said  the  cap- 
tain, and  he  grasped  Stubbs  by  the  collar. 

Now  the  Yankee  was  not  a  heavy  man,  but 
he  was  very  strong  and  wiry,  and  moreover,  in 
his  early  days,  like  Abraham  Lincoln,  he  had 
been  the  best  wrestler  in  the  Vermont  village 
where  he  had  his  birth.  He  was  a  very  quiet, 
peaceable  man,  but  he  was  accustomed  to 
resent  insult  in  an  effective  way.  He 
wrenched  himself  free  by  a  powerful  effort  ; 
then,  with  a  dexterous  movement  of  one  of  his 
long  legs,  he  tripped  up  the  captain,  who  fell 
in  a  heap  upon  the  deck.  The  shock,  added 
to  the  effects  of  his  intoxication,  seemed  to 
stupefy  the  captain,  who  remained  where  he 
fell. 

"Boys,"  said  Stubbs  coolly  to  the  two 
sailors  who  had  been  ordered  to  put  Harry  in 
irons,  "hadn't  you  better  help  tho  captain 
into  his  cabin?    He  seems  to  be  unwell." 

Just    then   the  mate  came  on  deck.      He 


198  FACING   THE   WORLD. 

didn't  make  inquiries,  but  took  in  the  situa- 
tion at  a  glance,  and  assisted  the  captain  to 
his  feet. 

"Shall  I  help  you  down  below,  sir?"  he 
asked. 

The  captain  silently  acquiesced,  and  the 
prime  actor  in  this  rather  startling  scene  left 
the  deck. 

Jack  Pendleton  scrambled  down  from  his 
elevated  perch  with  the  agility  of  a  cat.  He 
ran  up  to  Harry,  and  grasped  his  hand  with 
evident  emotion. 

"You  have  saved  my  life  !  "  he  said.  "I 
will  always  be  your  friend.  I  would  lay  down 
my  life  for  you." 

"It's  all  right,  Jack,"  said  Harry  rather 
shyly.  "  You  would  have  done  the  same  for 
me." 

"Yes,  I  would,"  answered  Jack  heartily, 
"but  there's  no  one  else  who  would  have  done 
it  for  me." 

"Are  you  goin'  to  leave  me  out,  my  boy? " 
asked  the  Yankee,  with  a  smile  on  his  jDlain 
but  good-natured  face. 

"No,  sir,"   responded  Jack.     "You  stood 


A   SENSATIONAL   SCENE.  199 

up  to  the  captain  like  a  man.  He  didn't 
frighten  you." 

"No,  I  wasn't  much  scared,"  drawled 
Stubbs,  contorting  his  features  drolly.  "But 
I  say,  young  man,  I've  got  a  piece  of  advice  to 
give  you.  You  don't  seem  to  be  much  of  a 
favorite  with  the  captain." 

"  It  don't  look  so,"  said  Jack,  laughing. 

"Just  you  keep  out  of  his  way  as  much  as 
you  can.  When  a  man  gets  as  full  as  he  does, 
he's  apt  to  be  dangerous." 

"  Thank  you,  sir  ;  I  will." 

Among  the  spectators  of  the  scene  just 
described,  the  most  panic-stricken,  proba- 
bly, was  Montgomery  Clinton,  the  Brooklyn 
dude. 

After  the  captain  had  gone  below,  he  walked 
up  to  Harry,  whom  he  regarded  with  evident 
admiration. 

"  I  say,  you're  quite  a  hero.  I  was  awfully 
frightened,  don't  you  know,  when  that  big 
bully  aimed  at  the  sailor  boy." 

"  You  looked  a  little  nervous,  Mr.  Clinton," 
said  Harry,  smiling. 

"You  were  awfully  brave    to    knock  the 


200  FACING  THE   WORLD. 

pistol  out  of  his  hand.  I  don't  see  how  you 
dared  to  do  it." 

"I  didn't  stop  to  think  of  the  danger.  I 
saw  that  Jack's  life  was  in  danger,  and  I  did 
the  only  thing  I  could  to  save  him." 

"I'm  glad  you're  not  put  in  irons.  It  must 
be  awful  to  be  in  irons." 

"I  don't  think  I  should  like  it,  though 
I  never  had  any  experience.  You'd  have 
stood  by  me,  wouldn't  you,  Mr.  Clinton?" 

Clinton  was  evidently  alarmed  at  the  sug- 
gestion. 

"  Yes,  of  course,"  he  said  nervously  ;  "that 
is,  I  would  have  gone  down  to  see  you  on  the 
sly.  You  wouldn't  expect  me  to  fight  the 
captain,  don't  you  know." 

Harry  could  hardly  refrain  from  smiling  at 
the  idea  of  the  spindle  shanked  dude  resisting 
the  captain,  but  he  kept  a  straight  face  as  he 
answered  : 

"I  look  upon  you  as  a  brave  man,  Mr. 
Clinton.  When  I  get  into  trouble,  I  shall  be 
sure  to  call  upon  you." 

"Oh,  certainly,"  stammered  Clinton  ;  "but 
I  say,  Mr.  Vane,  I  hope  you'll  be  prudent,  I  do 


A   SENSATIONAL   SCENE.  201 

really.  Captain  Hill  might  shoot  you,  you 
know,  as  he  tried  to  shoot  the  sailor  boy  just 
now." 

"  If  he  does,  Mr.  Clinton,  I  shall  expect  you 
to  interfere.  You  are  not  as  strong  as  the 
captain,  but  a  bold  front  will  go  a  great  way. 
If  you  threaten  to— to  horsewhip  him,  I  think 
it  might  produce  an  effect  upon  him." 

"Really,  my  dear  Mr.  Vane,"  said  Clinton, 
turning  pale,  "I  don't  think  I  could  go  so  far 
as  that." 

"I  thought  you  were  my  friend,  Mr.  Clin- 
ton," said  Harry  reproachfully. 

"So  I  am,  but  I  think  you  are  too— too 
bloodthirsty,  Mr.  Vane.  It  is  best  to  be  pru- 
dent, don't  you  know?  There's  that  Yankee, 
Mr.  Stubbs  ;  he  would  do  a  great  deal  better 
than  I.  He's  stronger,  and  older,  and— you'd 
better  speak  to  him,  don't  you  know  ?" 

"  A.  very  good  suggestion,  Mr.  Clinton," 
said  Harry  gravely. 

"I  am  afraid  I  should  fare  badly,"  thought 
our  hero,  "  if  I  depended  upon  Clinton  to 
stand  by  me.  He  isn'  t  of  the  stuff  they  make 
heroes  of." 


202  FACING  THE   WORLD. 

Twenty-four  hours  passed  before  Captain 
Hill  reappeared  on  deck.  Meanwhile  Harry 
had  received  congratulations  from  all  the 
passengers  on  his  display  of  pluck  and  from 
some  of  the  sailors  besides.  In  fact,  if  he  had 
not  been  a  sensible  boy  he  might  have  been  in 
danger  of  being  spoiled  by  praise.  But  he 
answered  very  modestly  that  he  had  only 
acted  from  impulse,  actuated  by  a  desire  to 
save  Jack,  and  had  not  had  time  to  count  the 
consequences. 

"I'll  stand  by  you,  my  lad,"  said  Hiram 
Stubbs.  "The  captain  may  try  to  do  you  a 
mischief,  but  he  will  have  somebody  else  to 
reckon  with — I  won't  see  you  hurt." 

"Thank  you,  Mr.  Stubbs,"  said  Harry 
heartily.  "I  know  the  value  of  your  help 
already.  Mr.  Clinton  also  is  willing  to  stand 
by  me,  though  he  says  he  doesn'  t  want  to  get 
into  a  fight  with  the  captain." 

"Clinton!  That  spindle-legged  dude!" 
said  Stubbs,  exploding  with  laughter.  "My, 
he  couldn't  scare  a  fly." 

Harry  laughed  too.  He  could  not  well 
help  it. 


A   SENSATIONAL   SCENE.  203 

"He  seems  a  good  fellow,  though  not 
exactly  a  hero,"  he  said.  "I  am  glad  to  have 
his  good  will." 

"He  is  more  of  a  tailor's  dummy  than  a 
man,"  said  Stubbs.  "I  always  want  to  laugh 
when  I  look  at  him.  Hist!  there's  the  cap- 
tain." 

Harry  turned  quickly  toward  the  compan- 
ionway,  and  saw  Captain  Hill  set  foot  on  the 
deck.  A  glance  satisfied  him  that  the  captain 
was  sober. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

A   STOEM. 

CAPTAIN  HILL  must  have  observed  Harry 
and  Mr.  Stubbs,  but  he  walked  by  them 
without  notice,  and  attended  to  his  duties, 
giving  his  orders  in  a  sharp,  quick  tone.  He 
was  an  experienced  seaman,  and  thoroughly 
fitted  for  his  post,  when  not  under  the  in- 
fluence of  liquor. 

"  I  am  glad  to  see  that  the  captain  is  sober," 
said  Stubbs,  in  a  low  voice. 

"  So  am  I,"  answered  Harry. 

Harry  was  a  little  apprehensive  that  Cap- 
tain Hill  would  show  resentment  for  his  boy- 
ish interference,  though  it  had  saved  him 
from  committing  murder  under  such  circum- 
stances, and  before  so  many  witnesses,  that 
he  could  not  well  have  escaped  conviction  and 
punishment  whenever  the  ship  reached  land. 
But,  except  ignoring  his  presence,  the  captain 

204 


A   STORM.  205 

did  not  in  any  way  intimate  his  recollection 
of  the  occurrence.  From  this  time,  indeed, 
he  seemed  to  turn  over  a  new  leaf.  Whether 
he  still  indulged  his  appetite  for  strong  drink 
in  the  seclusion  of  his  cabin  or  not,  he  did  not 
again  appear  on  deck  in  a  state  that  unfitted 
him  for  the  performance  of  his  duties. 

One  change,  however,  all  noticed  in  Captain 
Hill.  He  became  silent,  reserved,  morose. 
His  orders  were  given  in  a  quick,  peremptory 
tone,  and  he  seemed  to  cherish  a  grudge 
against  all  on  board.  Some  captains  add 
much  to  the  pleasure  of  the  passengers  by 
their  social  and  cheery  manners,  but,  when- 
ever Captain  Hill  appeared,  a  wet  blanket 
seemed  to  fall  on  the  spirits  of  passengers  and 
crew,  and  they  conversed  in  an  undertone,  as 
if  under  restraint. 

Between .  the  captain  and  the  mate  there 
was  a  great  difference.  Mr.  Holdfast  had  a 
bluff,  hearty  way  with  him,  which  made  him 
popular  with  all  on  board.  As  an  officer,  he 
was  strict,  and  expected  his  orders  to  be  exe- 
cuted promptly,  but  in  private  he  was  affable 
and  agreeable.     The  sailors  felt  instinctively 


206  FACING   THE   WOKLD. 

that  he  was  their  friend,  and  regarded  him 
with  attachment,  while  they  respected  his 
seamanship.  If  a  vote  had  been  taken,  there 
was  not  one  but  would  have  preferred  him  as 
captain  to  Captain  Hill. 

Thus  far — I  am  speaking  of  a  time  when  the 
Nantucket  was  three  months  out — there  had 
been  no  serious  storm.  Rough  weather  there 
had  been,  and  wet,  disagreeable  weather ;  but 
the  stanch  ship  had  easily  overcome  all  the 
perils  of  the  sea,  and,  with  the  exception  of 
Montgomery  Clinton,  no  one  had  been  seri- 
ously alarmed.  But  one  afternoon  a  cloud 
appeared  in  the  hitherto  clear  sky,  which 
would  have  attracted  no  attention  from  a 
landsman.  Mr.  Holdfast  observed  it,  how- 
ever, and  quietly  calling  the  captain,  directed 
his  attention  to  it. 

"I  think  we  are  going  to  have  a  bad  storm, 
Captain  Hill,"  he  said.  ''That's  a  weather 
breeder." 

The  captain  watched  the  cloud  for  a  mo- 
ment, and  then  answered  quietly,  "  I  think 
you  are  right,  Mr.  Holdfast.  You  may  give 
your  orders  accordingly." 


A   STORM.  207 

The  sails  were  reefed,  and  the  vessel  was 
prepared  for  the  warfare  with  the  elements 
which  awaited  it. 

"  What  are  they  doing  that  for,  Mr. 
Vane?"  asked  Clinton,  who  chanced  to  be 
conversing  with  our  hero.  "It's  a  pity  to 
reef  the  sails  when  we  are  going  so  nicely. 
For  my  part,  I  wish  we  could  go  faster.  I'm 
tired  of  being  at  sea." 

"  I  shall  be  glad  to  reach  land  myself,  Mr. 
Clinton,  but  I  suppose  if  they  furl  the  sails 
they  have  good  reason  for  it." 

"I  give  you  my  word,  Mr.  Vane,  I'm  quite 
tired  of  wearing  the  same  clothes  day  after 
day!  When  I  was  on  shore,  my  tailor  had  or- 
ders to  make  me  twelve  suits  a  year.  We've 
been  at  sea  three  months,  and  I've  just  had  to 
wear  the  same  suits  till  I'm  tired  of  them." 

"How  many  suits  did  you  bring  with 
you?"  asked  Harry,  smiling. 

"Only  six.  It  was  all  I  had  room  for," 
answered  Clinton,  in  a  tone  of  apology. 

"  I  don't  know  what  you  will  think  of  me, 
then,"  said  Harry.  "  I  have  but  one  besides 
the  one  I  have  on." 


208  FACING  THE   WORLD. 

"Oh,  by  Jove,  that's  a  very  narrow  mar- 
gin !  I  don't  see  how  yon  manage,  don't  you 
know?" 

"  You  see  I  never  aspired  to  be  a  leader  of 
fashion  like  you,  Mr.  Clinton." 

"You  are  awfully  kind,  Mr.  Vane,"  said 
the  dude,  with  a  gratified  smile,  "quite  com- 
plimentary, on  my  word.  I  don't  want  to 
boast,  but  my  tailor  tells  me  I  have  more 
pairs  of  trousers  than  any  other  young  society 
man  in  Brooklyn.     'Pon  my  word." 

"That  must  be  a  great  satisfaction,  Mr. 
Clinton,"  said  Harry,  with  considerable  grav- 
ity ;  "we  can't  all  be  fashionable.  Now,  I 
wouldn't  dare  to  tell  you  how  few  clothes 
I  have." 

"You  are  only  a  boy,  you  know.  No 
offence,  of  course." 

"Certainly  not;  as  you  say,  I  am  only  a 
boy.  But  if  you  don't  mind  telling  me  how 
many  pair  of  pants " 

"Excuse  me,"  interrupted  Clinton,  in  a 
horrified  tone.  "I  never  wear  pants.  They 
never  say  pants  in  fashionable  circles." 

"I    beg    your    pardon,    I  meant  trousers. 


A   STORM.  209 

How  many  pairs  of  trousers  did  your  ward- 
robe contain  ?" 

"Forty-three,"  answered  Clinton,  in  a  com- 
placent tone. 

"  You  must  spend  a  great  deal  for  clothes, 
then." 

"I  have  bills  with  several  tailors,"  Clinton 
explained.  "That  class  of  people  expect  to 
wait,  you  know." 

"Then  I  hope  for  their  sake  we  shan't  be 
shipwrecked,"  said  Harry. 

"Don't  mention  such  a  horrid  word,"  said 
Clinton  nervously.  "Really,  it  makes  me 
very  uncomfortable,  don't  you  know?" 

Harry,  out  of  regard  to  Clinton's  feelings, 
did  not  pursue  the  subject,  but  in  a  short  time 
it  forced  itself  upon  the  attention  of  ali  on 
board.  The  little  cloud  increased  porten- 
tously in  size.  All  at  once  a  strong  wind 
sprang  up,  the  sea  roughened,  and  the  billows 
grew  white  with  fury,  while  the  good  ship, 
stanch  as  she  was,  creaked  and  groaned  and 
was  tossed  about  as  if  she  were  a  toy  boat  on 
the  wrathful  ocean. 

The  passengers  were  all  seriously  alarmed. 

14 


210  PACING   THE   WORLD. 

They  had  never  before  realized  what  a  storm 
at  sea  was.  Even  a  man  of  courage  may  well 
be  daunted  by  the  terrific  power  of  the  sea 
when  it  is  roused  to  such  an  exhibition. 

"Harry,"  said  the  professor,  "this  is  ter- 
rible." 

"  Yes,  indeed,"  answered  the  boy  gravely. 

"  If  I  were  indeed  the  magician  I  claim  to 
be,"  added  the  professor,  with  a  faint  smile, 
"I  would  try  to  subdue  the  storm,  but  all  my 
tricks  are  of  no  avail  here." 

"I  suppose  it  is  because  we  are  landsmen 
that  it  seems  so  terrible  to  us." 

"Not  wholly.  See  how  grave  and  anxious 
the  captain  and  mate  look.  The  sailors  too 
work  as  if  they  knew  their  lives  were  at  stake," 

"It  is  very  fortunate  the  captain  is  not 
intoxicated." 

"Even  if  he  were,  such  a  thing  as  this 
ought  to  sober  him.  It  looks  very  doubtful 
whether  we  shall  ever  give  entertainments  in 
Australia." 

"We  will  hope  for  the  best  at  any  rate, 
professor,"  said  Harry  manfully.  "There  is 
nothing  to  do  but  to  trust  in  Providence." 


A   STORM.  211 

"Well  thought  of,  Harry.  I  am  not  a 
religious  man — more's  the  pity — but  I  believe 
in  God  and  trust  in  him." 

It  became  so  rough  and  difficult  to  stand  on 
deck,  on  account  of  the  vessel  being  tossed 
about  like  a  cockle-shell,  that  Harry  felt  con- 
strained to  go  below. 

As  he  passed  the  cabin  of  Montgomery 
Clinton  he  heard  a  faint  voice  call  his  name. 

Entering,  he  saw  the  dude  stretched  out  in 
his  berth,  with  an  expression  of  helpless  terror 
in  his  weak  face. 

"O  Mr.  Vane,"  he  said,  "do  you  think  we 
are  going  to  the  bottom?" 

"  I  hope  not,  Mr.  Clinton.  Our  officers  are 
skilful  men.  They  will  do  all  they  can  for 
us." 

"It  is  too  awfully  horrid  !  "  groaned  Clin- 
ton. "I'd  cheerfully  give  away  all  my 
trousers  and  wear  overalls  the  rest  of  my 
life,  if  I  could  be  on  land." 

Harry  was  amused  in  spite  of  himself. 

"I  think  I  would  do  the  same,"  he  said. 
"  But  wouldn't  you  find  life  a  burden  if  you 
had  to  dress  in  that  way  % " 


212  FACING  THE   WORLD. 

"I  don't  care.  I'm  awfully  in  earnest!" 
said  Clinton,  with  heroic  self-sacrifice.  "  Oh  ! 
what's  that  ? "  and  he  moaned  in  terror  as  a 
heavy  sea  struck  the  vessel  on  the  side  and 
nearly  threw  him  out  of  his  berth. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

the  "nantucket's"  danger. 


IT  was  a  terrible  night.  None  of  the  pas- 
sengers ventured  on  deck.  Indeed,  such 
was  the  motion  that  it  would  have  been 
dangerous,  as  even  the  sailors  found  it  diffi- 
cult to  keep  their  footing.  Harry  was  pale 
and  quiet,  unlike  his  friend  from  Brooklyn, 
whose  moans  were  heard  mingled  with  the 
noise  of  the  tempest. 

It  was  three  o'clock  in  the  morning  when 
those  below  heard  with  terror  a  fearful  crash, 
and  a  trampling  of  feet  above.  One  of  the 
masts  had  fallen  before  the  fury  of  the 
storm,  and  the  shock  made  the  good  ship 
careen  to  a  dangerous  extent.  What  had 
happened,  however,  was  not  understood  below. 

"I  wonder  what  has  happened,"  said  the 
professor  nervously.  "  I  think  I  will  go  and 
see." 

213 


214  FACING  THE   WORLD. 

He  got  out  of  his  berth,  but  only  to  be 
pitched  helpless  to  the  other  end  of  the  cabin. 

"This  is  terrible!"  he  said,  as  he  picked 
himself  up. 

"I  will  try  my  luck,  professor,"  said 
Harry. 

He  scrambled  out  of  his  berth,  and  with 
great  difficulty  made  his  way  on  deck. 

One  glance  told  him  what  had  occurred. 
The  crippled  ship  was  laboring  through  the 
sea.  It  seemed  like  a  very  unequal  combat, 
and  Harry  might  be  excused  for  deciding  that 
the  ship  was  doomed.  All  about,  the  sea 
wore  its  fiercest  aspect.  Harry  returned  cau- 
tiously to  his  cabin. 

' '  Well  ? ' '  said  the  professor. 

"  One  of  the  masts  is  gone,"  answered  the 
boy.     "  The  ship  is  having  a  hard  time." 

' '  Is  there  danger  \ ' '  asked  the  professor 
anxiously. 

"I  am  afraid  so,"  said  Harry  gravely. 

Montgomery  Clinton  heard  both  question 
and  answer,  and  was  seized  with  panic. 

"  Do  you  think  we  are  going  to  the  bottom, 
Mr.  Vane?  "  he  asked,  trembling. 


the  "nantucket's"  danger.        215 

"  We  are  in  great  peril,  but  there  is  always 
hope.     I  don't  give  up." 

"  Oh,  why  did  I  ever  come  to  sea?  "  sobbed 
the  wretched  dude.  "I  was  having  a  good 
time  in  Brooklyn,  I  was  a  great  favorite 
with  the  ladies,  and  all  the  young  men  ad- 
mired my  clothes.  I  wish  I  was  there 
now." 

"What  is  the  fool  bawling  about?"  was 
heard  from  the  next  cabin,  occupied  by  Mr. 
Stubbs.  "If  you've  got  to  die,  can't  you 
take  it  calmly,  as  I  do?" 

"I  don't  want  to  be  drowned!  It's  per- 
fectly awful !  "  moaned  Clinton.  "  I — I  never 
expected  to  become  food  for  the  fishes." 

"  Don't  be  alarmed  !  none  of  the  fishes  will 
meddle  with  you,"  returned  Stubbs,  in  a  sar- 
castic tone. 

Critical  as  was  their  position,  Harry  could 
not  avoid  smiling  at  this  remark.  But  the 
sarcasm  did  not  touch  Clinton.  He  was  too 
much  under  the  influence  of  terror. 

At  length  the  night  wore  away.  The  vio- 
lence of  the  storm  seemed  to  have  abated,  for 
after  a  time  the   motion  diminished.     More 


216  FACING  THE   WORLD. 

enterprising  than  the  rest  of  the  passengers, 
Harry  resolved  to  go  on  deck. 

"  Won't  you  come  with  me,  Mr.  Clinton?" 
he  asked. 

"I — I  couldn't,  'pon  my  honor.  I'm  as 
weak  as  a  rag.  I  don't  think  I  could  get  out 
of  my  berth,  really  now." 

"I'll  go  with  you,  my  young  friend,"  said 
Mr.  Stubbs. 

Harry  and  his  Yankee  friend  set  foot  cau- 
tiously on  deck.  The  prospect  was  not  reas- 
suring. The  ship  rolled  heavily,  and  from 
the  creaking  it  seemed  that  the  timbers  of  the 
hull  were  strained.  The  sailors  looked  fagged 
out,  and  there  was  a  set,  stern  look  on  the 
face  of  the  captain,  whom,  nevertheless,  Mr. 
Stubbs  ventured  to  accost. 

"  What's  the  prospect,  captain?"  he  asked. 

"You'd  better  make  your  will,"  said  the 
captain  grimly. 

"That's  cheerful,"  commented  Stubbs, 
turning  to  Harry. 

"Yes,  sir,"  answered  Harry  soberly. 

"Don't  tell  our  foppish  friend  below,  or 
he'll  rend  our  ears  with  his  howls.     But  you, 


the  "nantucket's"  danger.        217 

my  young  friend,  it's  rather  rough  on  you. 
How  old  are  you?" 

"Sixteen." 

"  And  I'm  rising  fifty.  Even  if  I  am  taken 
away,  I've  a  good  thirty  years  the  advantage 
of  you.  I've  had  a  good  time,  on  the  whole, 
and  enjoyed  myself  as  well  as  the  average. 
Still,  I  don't  quite  like  going  to  the  bottom 
in  the  Nantucket.  I  was  looking  forward  to 
twenty  years  or  so  more  of  life." 

"  We  must  submit  to  the  will  of  God,"  said 
Harry  quietly. 

"  You  are  right,  my  boy  !  It  is  easy  to  see 
that  you  have  been  well  trained.  Mr.  Hold- 
fast," for  they  had  reached  the  place  where 
the  mate  was  standing,  ' '  shall  we  outlive  the 
storm  ? " 

"  It  is  hard  to  say,  Mr.  Stubbs.  It  depends 
on  the  stanchness  of  the  ship.  We  will  do 
what  we  can." 

Ten  minutes  later  there  was  a  sinister  an- 
swer to  the  inquiry  of  Mr.  Stubbs.  A  sailor, 
who  had  been  sent  down  into  the  hold,  came 
with  the  information  that  the  ship  had  sprung 
a  leak. 


218  FACING  THE   WORLD. 

Then  commenced  the  weary  work  at  the 
pumps.  The  sailors  were  already  worn  out 
with  fighting  the  storm  under  the  direction  of 
the  captain  and  mate,  and  it  seemed  almost 
more  than  flesh  and  blood  could  stand  to  un- 
dertake this  additional  labor. 

Harry  and  Mr.  Stubbs  had  a  hurried  con- 
ference. 

"  Can't  we  help  at  this  work,  Mr.  Stubbs  ?  " 
asked  Harry.  "The  poor  men  look  utterly 
exhausted." 

"Well  thought  of,  my  boy!  I  am  with 
you.     I  will  speak  to  the  captain." 

But  Mr.  Holdfast,  the  mate,  chanced  to  be 
nearer,  and  to  him  Mr.  Stubbs  put  the  ques- 
tion : 

"Can't  I  help  at  the  pumps ? " 

"It  is  hard  work,  sir." 

' '  I  used  to  turn  a  grindstone  when  a  boy. 
I  guess  I  can  do  it." 

"And  I,  too,  Mr.  Holdfast,"  put  in  Harry. 

"  I  accept  your  offer  with  thanks.  The  men 
are  very  tired." 

So  Harry  and  Mr.  Stubbs  helped  at  this 
necessary  work,  and  when  the  professor  and 


the  "nantucket's"  danger.        219 

the  Melbourne  merchant  heard  of  it  they  too 
volunteered.  But  Marmaduke  Timmins,  the 
valetudinarian,  and  Montgomery  Clinton  felt 
quite  inadequate  to  the  task. 

"My  wretched  health  would  not  allow  of 
any  physical  exertion,"  said  Mr.  Timmins 
sadly.  "This  storm  makes  me  feel  worse 
than  usual.  I  have  taken  double  doses  of 
pills,  but  it  has  done  me  no  good." 

As  for  Clinton,  no  one  asked  him.  Work 
did  not  appear  to  be  in  his  line. 

"He  hasn't  got  the  strength  of  an  able- 
bodied  cat,"  said  Mr.  Stubbs,  "even  at  the 
best  of  times.  Now,  I  should  rate  him  at 
about  one  mouse  power." 

Harry  found  his  work  tiresome  and  fa- 
tiguing, but  he  had  the  comfort  of  feeling 
that  he  was  relieving  the  exhausted  sailors, 
and  doing  something  to  save  his  own  life  and 
the  lives  of  his  companions. 

He  caught  sight  of  poor  Jack,  looking  ready 
to  drop. 

"Jack,  you  must  be  very  tired,"  he  said. 

"  If  I  stood  still  I  should  drop  on  the  deck 
fast  asleep,"  said  Jack. 


220  FACING  THE   WORLD. 

"Can't  you  lie  down  for  an  hour?  I  am 
taking  your  place." 

Mr.  Holdfast  coming  up  at  this  moment, 
Harry  suggested  this  to  him,  and  the  mate 
said  kindly : 

"Jack,  my  lad,  go  below,  and  catch  a 
little  nap.  I  will  call  you  when  I  want 
you." 

So  Jack,  much  relieved,  went  below,  and 
without  a  thought  of  the  danger,  so  fatigued 
was  he,  fell  asleep  the  moment  he  got  into 
his  bunk,  and  was  not  called  up  for  four 
hours. 

After  a  while  they  reduced  the  flow  of 
water,  but  ascertained  that  the  ship  was  badly 
strained,  and  by  no  means  safe.  It  was  not 
till  the  next  day,  however,  that  an  important 
decision  was  reached. 

All  were  called  on  deck. 

"It  is  my  duty  to  tell  you,"  said  Captain 
Hill,  "that  the  ship  is  so  damaged  by  the 
recent  storm  that  she  is  liable  to  sink  at  any 
time.  Those  who  choose  to  run  the  risk  may 
remain,  however.     I  propose   with   such    as 


THE    "  NANTUCKET'S  "    DANGER.  221 

choose  to  join  me,  to  take  to  the  boats.     I  will 
give  you  fifteen  minutes  to  decide." 

Excitement  and  dismay  were  painted  on  the 
faces  of  all.  The  ship  might  be  insecure,  but 
to  launch  out  upon  the  great  ocean  in  a  frail 
boat  seemed  to  involve  still  greater  danger. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

"who  will  stay?" 

THE  decision  was  a  momentous  one.  It 
might  be  death  to  remain  on  the  ship, 
but  to  a  landsman  it  seemed  still  more  peril- 
ous to  embark  on  an  angry  sea  in  a  frail  boat. 

The  passengers  looked  at  each  other  in 
doubt  and  perplexity. 

They  had  but  fifteen  minutes  in  which  to 
make  up  their  minds. 

The  mate  stood  by,  serious  and  thoughtful. 

"Mr.  Holdfast,"  said  Mr.  Stubbs,  "do  you 
agree  with  the  captain  that  it  is  our  best 
course   to   take  to  the  boats?" 

"  It  is  hard  to  tell,"  said  the  mate  cau- 
tiously. 

"What  is   your  impression?" 

"  I  should  prefer  to  try  the  ship  a  little 
longer.  I  say  so  with  diffidence,  since  the 
captain  has  a  longer  experience   than  I." 

333 


"who  will  stay?"  223 

"I  don't  think  much  of  your  judgment, 
Mr.  Holdfast,"  said  Captain  Hill,  in  a  tone  of 
contempt. 

The  mate's  face  flushed — not  so  much  at  the 
words  as  the  tone. 

"Nevertheless,  Captain  Hill,"  he  said,  "I 
stand  by  what  I  have   said." 

"  Mr.  Holdfast,"  said  Mr.  Stubbs,  who 
seemed  to  speak  for  the  passengers,  ' '  if  some 
of  us  decide  to  remain  on  the  ship  will  you 
remain  with  us  %  " 

"  I  will,"  answered  the  mate  promptly. 

"  Then  set  me  down  as  the  first  to  remain," 
said  Stubbs. 

Somehow  this  man,  rough  and  abrupt  as  he 
was,  had  impressed  Harry  as  a  man  in  whom 
confidence  might  be  reposed.  He  felt  safe  in 
following  where  he  led. 

"  I  am  but  a  boy,"  he  said,  "  but  I  have  to 
decide  for  my  life.  I  remain  with  the  mate 
and  Mr.  Stubbs." 

Quietly  Stubbs  shook  hands  with  Harry. 

"  I  am  glad  to  have  you  with  us,"  he  said 
earnestly.     "  We  will  die  or  live  together." 

Next  came  Professor  Hemenway. 


224  FACING  THE   WORLD. 

"Put  me  down  as  the  third,"  he  said. 
"Harry,  we  sailed  together,  and  we  will  re- 
main together  to  the  end." 

"I  go  in  the  boat,"  said  John  Appleton. 
"I  have  a  great  respect  for  Mr.  Holdfast,  but 
I  defer  to  the  captain's  judgment  as  superior." 

He  went  over  and  ranged  himself  beside  the 
captain. 

"  You  are  a  sensible  man,  sir,"  said  Captain 
Hill,  with  a  scornful  glance  at  the  mate  and 
the  passengers  who  sided  with  him.  "Mr. 
Holdfast  can  go  down  with  the  ship  if  he 
desires.  I  prefer  to  cut  loose  from  a  doomed 
vessel." 

Marmaduke  Timmins,  the  invalid,  looked 
more  sallow  and  nervous  than  ever.  He  had 
swallowed  a  pill  while  the  others  were  speak- 
ing, to  give  himself  confidence. 

"I  will  go  with  the  captain,"  he  said. 
"  My  life  is  likely  to  be  short,  for  my  diseases 
are  many,  but  I  owe  it  to  myself  to  do  my  best 
to  save  it." 

"In  deciding  to  go  with  me  you  are  doing 
your  best,  sir,"  said  Captain  Hill. 

He  had  not  hitherto  paid  much  attention 


"who  will  stay?"  225 

to  Mr.  Timmins,  whom  lie  looked  upon  as  a 
crank  on  the  subject  of  health,  but  lie  was 
disposed  to  look  upon  him  now  with  more 
favor. 

At  this  moment  Montgomery  Clinton  ap- 
peared at  the  head  of  the  stairs.  The  poor 
fellow  was  pale  and  disheveled,  and  tottered 
from  weakness. 

"What's  going  on?"  he  asked  feebly. 
Harry  took  it  upon  himself  to  explain,  using 
as  few  words  as  possible. 

' '  Will  you  go  with  the  captain,  or  stay  on 
the  Nantucket?"  asked  Harry. 

"Shall  you  stay  on  the  ship,  Mr.  Vane?" 
asked  Clinton  feebly. 

"Yes." 

"Then  I  will.  Really,  I  couldn't  stand 
sailing  in  a  little  boat,  you  know.  It's  too 
horrid." 

"That's  settled,  then,"  said  the  captain. 
"Into  the  boat  with  you!" 

The  sailors  and  the  two  passengers  lowered 

themselves    into     the    long-boat,    which  was 

large  enough    to  receive  them   all,  till  only 

Jack  Pendleton  and  the   captain    remained. 

IP 


226  FACING  THE   WORLD. 

"  Get  in,  boy !  "  said  the  captain  harshly. 

Jack  stepped  back,  and  said  manfully,  "I 
will  remain  on  board  the  ship,  sir." 

"Stay,  then!"  said  the  captain,  rounding 
up  the  sentence  with  an  oath. 

"  I  am  glad  you  will  remain  with  us,  Jack," 
said  Harry,  smiling  kindly.  "I  don't  want  to 
be  separated  from  you." 

While  this  discussion  had  been  going  on, 
the  boat  was  being  stored  with  kegs  of  water 
and  provisions,  and  soon  after  the  sailors  be- 
gan to  ply  the  oars. 

The  little  band  that  remained  looked  on 
silently  and  solemnly,  as  they  saw  their  late 
companions  borne  farther  and  farther  away 
from   them   on  the  crested  waves. 

"It's  a  question  which  will  last  longer,  the 
ship  or  the  boat,"  said  Mr.  Holdfast. 

"We  must  work — I  know  that,"  said 
Mr.  Stubbs.  "Captain  Holdfast,  I  salute 
you  as  my  commander.  Give  us  your 
orders." 

"Are  you  all  agreed,  gentlemen?"  asked 
Holdfast. 

"  We  are,"  answered  all  except  Montgom- 


"who  will  stay?"  227 

ery  Clinton,  who  was  clinging  to  the  side  with 
a  greenish  pallor  on  his  face. 

"Then  I  shall  set  you  to  work  at  the 
pumps.  Jack,  I  assign  you  and  the  professor 
to  duty  first.  You  will  work  an  hour  ;  then 
Mr.  Stubbs  and  Mr.  Vane  will  relieve  you.  I 
will  look  out  for  the  vessel's  course." 

"I  am  afraid  I  couldn't  pump,"  said  Mont- 
gomery Clinton.  "I  feel  so  awfully  weak, 
you  know,  I  think  I'm  going  to  die  !  " 

His  slight  form  was  immediately  convulsed, 
and  he  leaned  over  the  side  with  a  woebegone 
look.  When  he  was  relieved,  the  mate  said 
with  a  slight  smile,  "You  had  better  go  be- 
low, Mr.  Clinton.  You  may  be  fit  for  duty 
to-morrow.     To-day  I  will  excuse  you." 

"You're  awfully  kind,  I'm  sure,"  said  poor 
Clinton,  not  forgetting  his  politeness  even  in 
his  anguish.  "If  I'm  alive  to-morrow,  I  hope 
I'll  be  strong  enough  to  pump.  I  used  to 
pump  water  for  my  auntie  when  I  was  a  boy." 

The  poor  fellow  with  wild,  uncertain  steps 
staggered  to  the  stairs,  and  with  the  help  of 
Harry,  who  saw  that  he  was  really  very  weak, 
descended  to  his  cabin. 


228  FACING   THE  WORLD. 

"You're  very  kind,  Mr.  Vane,"  he  fal- 
tered. 

"I  am  afraid  you  are  feeling  very  miser- 
able, Mr.  Clinton,"  said  Harry,  with  a  touch 
of  genuine  pity.  He  would  not  have  liked  to 
be  so  weak  and  unmanly  as  the  dude,  but  he 
pitied  him  nevertheless. 

"Yes,  Mr.  Vane,"  said  Clinton  dolefully, 
"I  don't  expect  to  live  long." 

"We  may  none  of  us  live  long,"  answered 
Harry  gravely. 

"You're  awfully  strong,  you  know,  com- 
pared to  me,"  said  Clinton.  "My  grand- 
mother used  to  say  I  had  a  girl's  constitution. 
If  I  die  first,  I  leave  you  all  my  trousers,  and 
the  rest  of  my  wardrobe.  I'd  make  a  will, 
but   I   don't   feel   like  writing,  you   know." 

Harry  wanted  to  laugh,  but  he  suppressed 
the  inclination. 

"I  doubt  whether  your  trousers  would  fit 
me,  Mr.  Clinton,"  he  said,  "  but  it's  very 
kind  of  you  all  the  same." 

"  Don't  mention  it,  Mr.  Vane." 

"But  I  think  you  had  better  make  up  your 
mind  to  live  and  wear  the  trousers  yourself." 


"who  will  stay?"  229 

"I  will  try  to,  but " 

Here  a  lurch  of  the  ship  pitched  him  into 
his  bunk,  where  Harry  left  him  and  rejoined 
his  fellow  voyagers  on  deck. 

He  looked  out  to  sea,  and  saw  the  little  boat 
containing  the  remnant  of  their  company 
growing  smaller  and  smaller.  A  sudden  feel- 
ing of  loneliness  overcame  him,  and  he  asked 
himself  seriously,  "  Is  death  then  so  near? " 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

THE  END   OF   THE   CRUISE. 

THE  sea  was  still  rough,  but  the  violence 
of  the  storm  was  past.  In  a  few  hours 
the  surface  of  the  sea  was  much  less  agitated. 
The  spirits  of  the  passengers  rose,  especially 
after  learning  from  the  mate  that  he  had  been 
able  to  stop  the  leak,  through  the  experience 
which  he  had  acquired  in  his  younger  days  as 
assistant  to  a  ship  carpenter. 

"  Then  the  old  ship  is  likely  to  float  a  while 
longer?"  said  Mr.  Stubbs  cheerfully. 

"Not  a  short  time  either,  if  the  weather 
continues   favorable." 

"Captain  Hill  was  in  too  much  of  a  hurry 
to  leave  the  vessel,"  remarked  Harry. 

"Yes,"  answered  Holdfast.  "Such  was 
my  opinion  when  I  thought  the  Nantucket  in 
much  worse  condition  than  at  present.  If  the 
captain  and  sailors  had  remained  on  board,  we 

230 


THE   END   OF  THE   CRUISE.  231 

could  have  continued  our  voyage  to  Melbourne 
without  difficulty." 

"And  now?"  said  Mr.  Stubbs  interroga- 
tively. 

"Now  we  have  no  force  to  man  her.  Little 
Jack  and  myself  are  the  only  sailors  on 
board." 

"  But  not  the  only  men." 

"That  is  true.  I  think,  however,  that  you 
or  the  professor  would  find  it  rather  hard  to 
set  or  take  in  sail." 

Mr.  Stubbs  looked  up  into  the  rigging  and 
shrugged  his  shoulders. 

"You  are  right,  captain,"  he  said.  "Here 
is  Harry,  now.  He  might  possibly  climb  aloft. 
As  for  me,  it  makes  my  head  swim  to  think  of 
myself  up  there." 

"There  is  Mr.  Clinton,"  suggested  Harry, 
smiling. 

"He  would  make  a  good  tailor's  dummy," 
said  Mr.  Stubbs.  "  I  apprehend  that's  all  he's 
fit  for.    Have  you  formed  any  plans,  captain  ? " 

"We  must  drift,  I  suppose,"  said  Holdfast. 
"If  we  could  obtain  even  four  or  five  able 
seamen,  I  would  continue  the  voyage." 


232  FACING  THE  WORLD. 

"Is  there  any  hope  of  that,  do  you  think  ?" 

"We  might  encounter  some  ship  that  could 
spare  us  that  number,  though  vessels,  in  these 
latitudes,  seldom  carry  more  men  than  they 
require  for  their  own  needs.  Meanwhile  we 
have  one  comfort." 

"What  is  that?" 

"We  are  plentifully  supplied  with  provi- 
sions. We  shall  not  fall  short  either  of  food 
or  drink." 

The  next  day  Mr.  Clinton  appeared  on 
deck.  He  looked  faded  and  played  out,  but 
he  was  no  longer  the  woebegone  creature  of  a 
day  or  two  previous.  Even  he  turned  out  to 
be  of  use,  for  he  knew  something  about  cook- 
ing, and  volunteered  to  assist  in  preparing  the 
meals,  the  ship's  cook  having  left  the  ship 
with  the  captain.  Accordingly  he  rose  in  the 
estimation  of  the  passengers — having  proved 
that  he  was  not  wholly  a  drone. 

Jack  and  Harry  grew  still  more  intimate. 

The  young  sailor  was  under  no  restraint  now 

that  the  captain  was  not  on  board,  for  with 

the   mate   he   had   always   been   a   favorite. 

All  efforts  were  made  to  keep  the  ship  on 


THE   END   OF   THE   CRUISE.  233 

her  course.  They  could  not  set  all  the 
sails,  however,  and  made  but  slow  progress. 
They  did  little  but  drift.  Nor  did  they 
encounter  any  other  vessels  for  several  days, 
so  that  there  was  no  chance  of  obtaining  the 
desired  assistance. 

"I  wonder  where  it  will  all  end,  Jack?" 
said  Harry  one   evening. 

"I  don't  trouble  myself  much  about  that, 
Harry,"  said  the  young  sailor.  "I  am  con- 
tent as  I  am." 

"  Don't  you  look  ahead,  then  3  " 

"  I  am  happy  with  you  and  the  few  we  have 
on  board.  They  are  all  kind  to  me  ;  what 
more  do  I  need  %  " 

"I  can't  be  contented  so  easily,  Jack.  I 
hope  there  is  a  long  life  before  us.  Here  we 
are  making  no  progress.  We  are  doing  noth- 
ing to  advance  ourselves." 

But  this  did  not  make  much  impression  on 
Jack.  He  did  not  look  beyond  the  present, 
and  so  that  this  was  comfortable  he  left  the 
future  to  look  out  for  itself. 

"  What  do  you  think  has  become  of  Cap- 
tain Hill  and  his  companions,  Mr.  Holdfast  ?  " 


234  FACING  THE   WOELD. 

asked  Mr.  Stubbs  on  the  third  evening  after 
the  separation. 

"He  is  probably  still  afloat,  unless  he  has 
been  fortunate  enough  to  be  picked  up  by 
some  vessel." 

"Do  you  think  that  probable  ?" 

"It  is  possible,  but  the  ocean  is  wide,  and 
there  is  plenty  of  chance  to  escape  observa- 
tion." 

"  Speaking  plainly,  do  you  think  his  chance 
of  a  safe  deliverance  as  good  as  ours  ? " 

"No,  I  do  not,"  answered  the  mate 
promptly.  "  If  I  did,  I  should  favor  our 
taking  the  remaining  boat,  and  following 
his  example." 

"You  don't  favor  this?" 

' '  No  ;  here  we  have  a  good  stock  of  pro- 
visions, far  more  comfortable  accommoda- 
tions, and  are  more  likely,  from  our  size,  to 
attract  attention." 

"There  is  no  hope  of  reaching  land  in 
the  Nantucket,  is  there?"  continued  Mr. 
Stubbs. 

"  There  is  considerable  fear  of  it,"  said  the 
mate. 


THE   END   OF  THE   CRUISE.  235 

"Why  do  you  use  the  word  fear?"  asked 
Stubbs,  puzzled. 

"  What  I  mean  is,  that  we  are  likely  to  run 
aground  upon  some  unknown  island.  If  the 
shore  is  rocky  it  may  break  us  to  pieces,  and 
that,  of  course,  will  be  attended  with  danger 
to  life  or  limb." 

Stubbs  looked  thoughtful. 

"I  should  like  to  see  land,"  he  said,  "but 
I  wouldn't  like  to  land  in  that  way.  It  re- 
minds me  of  an  old  lady  who,  travelling  by 
cars  for  the  first  time,  was  upset  in  a  collision. 
As  she  crawled  out  of  the  window  she  asked 
innocently,  'Do  you  always  stop  this  way? '  " 

"There  are  dangers  on  land  as  well  as  on 
the  sea,"  said  the  mate,  "as  your  story 
proves  ;  though  one  is  not  so  likely  to  realize 
them.  In  our  present  circumstances,  there  is 
one  thing  I  earnestly  hope  for." 

"What  is  that?" 

"That  we  may  not  have  another  storm.  I 
fear  in  her  dismantled  condition  the  Nan- 
tucket would  have  a  poor  chance  of  outliving 
it,  particularly  as  we  have  no  one  but  Jack  and 
myself  to  do  seamen's  work." 


236  FACING   THE   WORLD. 

Mr.  Stubbs  walked  thoughtfully  away. 

Harry,  who  had  seen  him  talking  with  the 
mate,  asked  him  the  nature  of  the  conversa- 
tion. 

Mr.  Stubbs  told  him. 

"  The  fact  is,  Harry,"  he  said,  "  we  are  in  a 
critical  condition.  Whether  we  are  ever  to 
see  old  terry  jirmy  again  [Mr.  Stubbs  was 
not  a  classical  scholar]  seems  a  matter  of 
doubt," 

"And  the  worst  of  it  is,"  said  Harry, 
"there  seems  to  be  nothing  you  and  I  can 
do  to  increase   our  chances  of  safety." 

"No,  unless  we  could  manage  to  see  a 
ship  which  the  chief  officer  had  overlooked. 
That,  I  take  it,  is  not  very  likely.  I  don't 
care  so  much  about  being  lost  for  my  own 
sake." 

"What  then?"  asked  Harry,  puzzled. 

"It's  when  I  think  of  what  the  world  will 
lose  by  my  invention,"  explained  Stubbs 
gravely.  "I  tell  you,  Harry  Vane,  it's  going 
to  revolutionize  the  world." 

"  What  is  it  ?  "  Harry  naturally  inquired. 

"That  would  be  telling,"  answered  Stubbs 


THE   END   OF   THE   CEUISE.  237 

shrewdly.  "I  am  not  prepared  to  make 
known  my  discovery  yet.  If  I  did,  ten  to 
one  some  other  fellow  Avould  seize  the  idea, 
and  get  the  start  of  me.  I  want  to  reap  the 
advantage  of  it  myself." 

"Why  didn't  you  develop  it  in  America, 
Mr.  Stubbs?" 

"  Because  I  got  no  encouragement.  Besides 
I  was  afraid  it  would  be  stolen.  My  country- 
men are  sharp.  In  Australia  it  will  be  differ- 
ent. Something  told  me  that  there  was  the 
place  to  try  it,  so  I  took  passage  on  the  JVan- 
tuctiet,  and  here  I  am." 

"I  suppose  you'd  rather  be  somewhere 
else,"  said  Harry,  smiling. 

"I  don't  mind  owning  up  that  I  would. 
But  it  can't  be  helped  now — I  must  grin  and 
bear  it." 

It  was  toward  morning  of  the  fifth  night 
after  the  captain  had  left  the  ship,  that  all  on 
board  were  startled  by  a  mighty  thumping, 
accompanied  by  a  shock  that  threw  the 
sleepers  out  of  bed. 

Harry  ran  hastily  on  deck.  The  mate  was 
there  already. 


238  FACING  THE  WORLD. 

"What's  happened,  Mr.  Holdfast?"  asked 
the  boy  anxiously. 

"  The  ship  has  struck  on  a  rocky  ledge." 

"  Are  we  in  danger  ?  " 

"In  great  danger.  Call  all  the  passengers. 
We  must  take  the  boat,  for  the  Nantucket  is 
doomed." 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

THE   WRECK   OF  THE    "NANTUCKET." 

IT  was  still  quite  dark,  but  it  was  light 
enough  to  see  that  the  ship  had  struck 
upon  a  reef.  Straining  their  eyes,  the 
alarmed  passengers  could  descry  land.  In- 
deed the  reef  was  an  outlying  part  of  it. 

All  eyes  were  turned  upon  the  captain,  as 
Mr.  Holdfast  was  now  called. 

"  If  I  had  had  men  enough  to  stand  watch, 
this  would  not  have  happened,"  he  said. 

"Is  there  any  hope,  Mr.  Holdfast?"  asked 
Montgomery  Clinton,  clasping  his  hands  in 
terror. 

"  Plenty  of  it,"  answered  the  mate  curtly  ; 
"  but  we  must  leave  the  ship." 

Under  his  direction  the  remaining  boat,  for 
Captain  Hill  and  his  companions  had  only 
taken  away  one,  was  lowered.  Steering  clear 
of  the  reef  they  found  themselves  in  a  cove, 

239 


240  FACING   THE   WORLD. 

bordered  on  three  sides  by  land.  By  the  light, 
now  rapidly  increasing,  they  saw  grass  and 
trees,  and  the  sight  gladdened  them  in  spite 
of   the  grave  peril  that  menaced   them. 

"Mr.  Holdfast,"  said  Clinton  anxiously, 
"  won't  you  let  me  go  back  for  my  wardrobe. 
I  can't  get  along  without  that,  don't  you 
know?" 

"I  don't  think  it's  the  fashion  to  wear 
clothes  here,  Mr.  Clinton,"  said  the  mate,  his 
eye  twinkling.  "You'll  be  sure  to  be  in 
fashion." 

"But  that's  horrid,  you  know.  I  assure 
you  I  don't  care  to  imitate  the  natives." 

"Provisions  are  of  the  first  importance,  Mr. 
Clinton,"  said  Holdfast  seriously.  "After 
that,  we  will  save  what  we  can." 

They  put  on  the  boat  as  large  a  supply  of 
stores  as  they  dared,  and  then  rowed  ashore. 
Landing  the  passengers  Holdfast  selected 
Jack  and  Harry,  and  went  back  to  the  ship 
for  a  further  supply. 

"  We  must  lay  in  as  much  as  we  can,  for  we 
don't  know  how  long  we  are  to  remain  here," 
he  said. 


THE   WRECK   OF   THE    "NANTUCKET."      241 

When  the  second  trip  had  been  made,  it  was 
decided  to  rest  for  a  time,  and  eat  breakfast. 

The  little  group  gathered  on  a  bluff  looking 
out  to  sea,  and  sitting  down,  ate  heartily. 
By  this  time  the  sun  had  made  its  appearance, 
and  it  bade  fair  to  be  a  pleasant  day. 

"Have  you  any  idea  where  we  are,  Mr. 
Holdfast?"  asked  Mr.  Stubbs. 

"  I  only  know  that  we  are  on  an  island. 
There  is  no  mainland  near  here,"  answered 
the  commander. 

"It  seems  to  be  a  large  one,  then.  While 
you  were  gone  with  the  boys,  I  ascended  a 
tree,  and  looking  inland  could  not  see  the 
ocean  in  that  direction." 

"  What  tree  did  you  climb  ?  "  asked  Harry. 

Mr.  Stubbs  pointed  it  out. 

"There's  another  one  higher  and  on  higher 
ground.  Mr.  Clinton,  won't  you  climb  it,  and 
see  what  you  can  discover  \ ' '  asked  Harry 
mischievously. 

"Really,  Mr.  Vane,"  answered  Clinton,  in 
great  trepidation,  "I  couldn't  think  of  it.  I 
am  quite  sure  I  should  tear  my  trousers,  and 
they  are  the  only  ones  I  have  here.    I  wish  the 


242  FACING   THE   WORLD. 

captain  would  let  me  go  to  the  ship  and  get 
the  balance  of  my  wardrobe." 

"  Do  you  think  you  could  manage  this  boat 
alone,  Mr.  Clinton?"  asked  the  mate. 

"  Good  gracious,  no.  Perhaps  Mr.  Vane 
would  go   with  me." 

"I  feel  like  exploring  the  island,"  said 
Harry;    "who  will  go  with  me?" 

Curious  to  see  what  kind  of  a  new  home 
they  had,  all  set  out.  First,  however,  the  pro- 
fessor asked  : 

"How  long  before  the  ship  is  likely  to  go  to 
pieces,  Mr.  Holdfast?" 

"Not  under  a  day  or  two  in  this  weather," 
was  the  answer.  "Later  in  the  day  I  will 
board  her  again." 

They  struck  inland  and  walked  for  about 
two  miles.  There  were  trees  and  plants  such 
as  they  had  never  seen  before,  and  the  songs 
of  unknown  birds  floated  out  upon  the  air.  It 
was  certainly  a  delightful  change  from  the 
contracted  life  they  had  been  leading  upon 
shipboard. 

"Do  you  think  the  land  is  inhabited?" 
asked  Harry. 


THE   WRECK    OF   THE    "NANTUCKET."      243 

"I  know  no  more  about  it  than  you  do, 
my  lad,"  answered  Holdfast. 

"  Suppose  we  should  meet  with  a  pack  of 
savages  armed  with  spears  !  "  suggested  Harry, 
with  a  side  look  at  Clinton,  who  was  walking 
by  him. 

"  Oh,  good  gracious,  Mr.  Holdfast !  do  you 
think  we  will? "  asked  that  young  gentleman 
nervously. 

"  We  must  do  the  best  we  can.  I  take  it 
we  are  all  brave,  and  would  be  willing  to 
fight." 

"Certainly,"  said  Harry;  "I  can  answer 
for  Mr.  Clinton  and  myself." 

"Oh,  but  really  now,  I  don't  think  I  could 
fight  with  savages,  you  know,"  said  Clinton, 
turning  pale.  "  We'd  better  go  back,  don't 
you  know? " 

"You  can  go  back,  Mr.  Clinton,"  said  Mr. 
Stubbs.     "  As  for  me  I  am  going  forward." 

"But  I  shouldn't  dare  to  go  back  alone. 
They  might  surprise  me,  you  know." 

"I  am  quite  sure  you  would  surprise  them, 
Mr.  Clinton,"  said  the  professor,  smiling. 

"Do  you  think  so,  really?  "  said  the  dude, 


244  facing  tup:  world. 

not  understanding  the  significance  of  this  re- 
mark. 

"  I  am  sure  of  it." 

"  Won't  you  go  back  with  me,  Mr.  Vane  ?" 

"  No,  Mr.  Clinton  ;  I  am  curious  to  explore 
our  new  home." 

"I  wish  I  was  back  in  Brooklyn,"  sighed 
Clinton. 

"I  should  rather  be  there  myself,"  said 
Harry.  "Yet  if  I  were  only  sure  of  it,  I 
should   not  mind   staying   here   a  while." 

"I  wonder,"  said  Mr.  Stubbs  reflectively, 
"  if  anyone  were  ever  shipwrecked  on  this 
island  before." 

"I  think  it  quite  likely,"  said  the  mate. 
"It  is,  it  seems,  pretty  large.  If  it  were 
located  within  a  convenient  distance  of  New 
York,  I  should  not  be  surprised  if  it  were  a 
favorite   summer  resort." 

"I  am  afraid,  Harry,"  said  the  professor, 
"that  it  will  hardly  pay  to  give  one  of  our 
magical  entertainments  here." 

"Unless  the  island  should  be  inhabited," 
suggested  Harry. 

"Even  in  that    case  I  doubt   whether  the 


THE   WRECK   OF   THE    "NANTUCKET."      245 

entertainment  would  be  within  the  comprehen- 
sion of  the  dusky  savages  who  might  be  found 
here." 

"Think,  Mr.  Clinton,"  said  Harry,  "how 
the  dusky  maidens  would  admire  you  !  I  am 
not  sure  but  they  might  fight  among  them- 
selves  for  your   favor." 

The  young  man  from  Brooklyn  didn't 
appear  flattered   by  the  suggestion. 

"I  admire  the  fair  sex,  I  admit,"  he  said, 
"but  when  it  comes  to  copper-colored  sav- 
ages, I  would  rather  be  excused,  don't  you 
know  ?  I  was  a  great  favorite  with  the  young- 
ladies  of  Brooklyn,  and  had  no  end  of  invita- 
tions to  parties.  If  they  could  only  see  me 
now!"  he  concluded,  with  a  sigh. 

After  a  considerable  walk  they  reached  a 
grove  of  trees,  bearing  a  different  leaf  from 
any  to  which  they  were  accustomed.  They 
did  not  appear  to  produce  fruit  of  any  kind, 
but  were  comely  and  afforded  a  grateful 
shade.  This  was  the  more  appreciated 
because  the  sun  had  begun  to  make  its  heat 
felt,  and  a  feeling  of  languor  diffused  itself 
over  all. 


246  FACING  THE   WORLD. 

"I  move  we  squat  here  a  while,"  said  Mr. 
Stubbs  quaintly. 

"Very  well,"  said  the  mate.  "We  have 
all  day  before  us,  and  I  am  afraid  a  great 
many  to  come,  in  which  we  may  explore  the 
island." 

All  threw  themselves  on  the  grass  without 
ceremony,  except  Mr.  Clinton,  who  carefully 
drew  from  his  pocket  a  linen  handkerchief, 
and  spread  it  out  to  sit  upon. 

Harry  smiled. 

"  You  are  more  careful  than  the  rest  of  us, 
Mr.  Clinton,"  he  said. 

"I  don't  want  to  soil  my  trousers,"  said 
Clinton. 

"Especially  as  you  don't  know  when  you 
can  get  another  pair,"  suggested  Stubbs. 
"Really,  my  young  friend,  I  am  a  little 
curious  as  to  how  we  will  all  be  looking  a  year 
hence,  if  we  stay  here  as  long.  Ten  to  one 
we  shall  have  to  extemporize  new  garments 
of  sail-cloth." 

"  O  Mr.  Stubbs,  don't  mention  such  a  horrid 
thing,"  said  Clinton,  with  an  expression  of 
anguish. 


THE  WRECK   OF  THE    "NANTUCKET."      247 

"  I  think  you  would  look  rather  picturesque, 
Mr.  Clinton,  in  a  sail-cloth  suit,"  said  Harry, 
smiling  mischievously. 

All  laughed  except  Clinton,  to  whom  the 
subject  was  a  very  solemn  one. 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

PREPARING   A   HOME. 

THEY  returned  to  the  shore  about  noon, 
and  sitting  down  on  the  bluff  ate  heartily 
of  the  stores  they  had  brought  with  them  from 
the  ship.  They  had  brought  no  water,  but 
fortunately  discovered  a  spring  on  their  home- 
ward walk,  which  promised  a  constant  supply 
of  refreshing  drink. 

"This  seems  like  a  picnic,"  said  Harry,  as 
they  sat  down  on  the  grass  with  the  food  in 
the  centre. 

"I'm  afraid  it  will  prove  a  larger  picnic 
than  we  care  for,"  remarked  the  professor. 

"Speaking  of  picnics,"  said  Mr.  Clinton, 
"reminds  me  of  this  time  last  year.  I  was 
sojourning  in  the  country.  I  went  to  a  picnic 
with  two  beautiful  creatures.  'Pon  my  word, 
they  got  actually  jealous  of  each  other.  Each 
thought  I  liked  the  other  best.  I  found  it 
very  embarrassing,  don't  you  know?" 

348 


PREPARING   A   HOME.  249 

"I  should  think  you  would,"  said  Harry, 
smiling.     "  How  did  it  turn  out  ?  " 

"  There  was  a  small  lake  in  the  picnic 
grounds,  and  they  insisted  on  my  taking  them 
out  in  a  row-boat." 

"  Of  course  you  did." 

"Certainly.  I  couldn't  refuse,  don't  you 
know?" 

"Did  you  row,  or  they?"  asked  Mr. 
Stubbs. 

"Well,  you  see,  they  wanted  to  row,  and  I 
let  them.  After  a  while  one  of  them  asked 
me  a  very  embarrassing  question." 

"What  was  it?" 

"She  asked,  'Suppose  the  boat  was  to 
upset,  Mr.  Clinton,  which  of  us  would  you 
save — Sarah  or  me?'  But  she  didn't  catch 
me.  I  answered,  'I  shouldn't  know  which  to 
choose,  and  so  I  think  I  should  save  myself.'  " 

"  How  did  that  answer  suit  her  ?  " 

"She  got  mad — some  girls  are  so  unreason- 
able, don't  you  know?  But  then,  if  I  had 
said  I  would  save  her,  Sarah  would  have 
been  mad." 

All  laughed  at  Mr.  Clinton's  reminiscence, 


250  FACING   THE   WOELD. 

but  lie  sighed  sadly  as  he  thought  of  the 
happy  past,  and  contrasted  with  it  the  un- 
promising present. 

When  dinner  was  over,  if  their  informal  meal 
can  be  dignified  by  the  name,  Mr.  Holdfast  said: 

"I  think  we  had  better  make  another  trip 
to  the  ship,  and  bring  back  what  we  can. 
We  shall  need  a  further  supply  of  provisious, 
and  there  will  be  other  things  that  will  occur 
to  us  as  likely  to  be  needed." 

"Won't  you  bring  my  wardrobe,  Mr.  Hold- 
fast?" asked  Clinton  anxiously.  "I  want  to 
put  on  my  striped  trousers." 

"Your  wardrobe  can  wait,  Mr.  Clinton," 
said  Holdfast  curtly.  "  There  are  plenty  of 
things  we  need  more  than  trousers." 

"May  I  go  with  you,  Mr.  Holdfast?" 
asked  Harry. 

"Yes,"  answered  the  mate;  "I  will  take 
you  and  Jack,  and  Mr.  Stubbs,  too,  may  come 
if  he  will." 

"I  am  quite  at  your  commands,  captain," 
said  the  Yankee. 

"Then  you  don't  want  me?"  said  Profes- 
sor Hemenway  good-naturedly. 


PKEPAEING   A   HOME.  251 

"You  are  a  little  stout,  professor,  and  a 
little  clumsy.  Perhaps  you  will  be  kind 
enough  to  remain  with  Mr.  Clinton  and 
entertain  him." 

"He  is  more  likely  to  entertain  me,"  said 
the  magician,  smiling. 

"You  are  awfully  kind,  professor,"  said 
Clinton,  who  took  the  remark  in  a  compli- 
mentary sense. 

"Not  at  all,"  was  the  professor's  smiling 
disclaimer. 

Nothing  suited  Harry  better  than  to  make 
one  of  the  expedition.  He  and  Jack  clam- 
bered up  the  ship's  sides,  and  chased  each 
other  with  boyish  fun.  Jack  had  no  fear  of 
a  stern  rebuke  from  Mr.  Holdfast,  who  had 
a  sympathy  with  the  young.  He  would  not 
have  'dared  to  take  such  liberties  with  Cap- 
tain Hill. 

"  How  long  do  you  think  the  ship  will  hold 
together,  Mr.  Holdfast?"  asked  Stnbbs. 

"For  a  week,  perhaps,  unless  the  sea  be- 
comes rough,  and  dashes  her  against  the  reef 
with  violence." 

"At  present  she  seems  motionless." 


252  FACING   THE   WORLD. 

"Yes,  she  is  not  at  present  receiving  any 
damage.  It  will  be  a  sad  day  when  she  goes 
to  pieces,"  continued  the  mate  gravely. 

"Yes,  but  it  will  hardly  make  our  position 
worse.  There  is  no  chance  of  our  making  any 
use  of  her,  I  take  it." 

"You  don't  quite  understand  me,"  said 
Holdfast.  "A  sailor  gets  to  feel  an  attach- 
ment for  the  craft  he  sails  on,  and  she  seems 
to  him  something  like  a  living  creature.  This 
is  my  first  voyage  on  the  old  Nantucket,  but 
it  will  grieve  me  to  see  her  disappear." 

"You  take  a  romantic  view  of  it,  captain. 
Never  having  been  a  sailor,  I  can't  quite  share 
your  feelings.  Still,  I  shall  feel  rather  lonely 
when  the  old  hulk  collapses.  It'll  be  break- 
ing the  last  tie  that  connects  us  with  home  and 
friends,  as  it  were." 

It  was  not  easy  to  decide  of  what  the  boat's 
load  should  consist.  In  the  main,  provisions 
were  taken  as  an  article  of  first  necessity. 
Some  clothing,  also,  was  selected,  and  among 
the  rest,  at  Harry's  instance,  an  extra  pair  of 
Mr.  Clinton's  trousers. 

Stubbs  and  Holdfast  laughed  when  Harry 


PREPARING  A   HOME.  253 

came  up  from  below  with  them  hanging  over 
his  arm. 

"There  are  other  articles  of  more  conse- 
quence," said  the  mate. 

"Not  to  him,  Mr.  Holdfast,"  replied 
Harry. 

"He  wants  to  be  a  dude,  even  on  a  desert 
island,"  said  Stubbs,  shrugging  his  shoul- 
ders. 

"  I  may  take  them,  may  I  not,  Mr.  Hold- 
fast?" 

"  Yes,  if  you  like.  They  seem  to  be  what 
he  most  cares  for." 

Great  was  the  delight  of  Clinton  when 
Harry  stepped  out  of  the  boat  with  his  be- 
loved trousers  in  his  hands. 

"You  are  awfully  kind,  Mr.  Vane,"  he 
said.  "  They  are  my  nicest  pair,  too.  I  paid 
fifteen  dollars  for  them." 

"Very  suitable  to  wear  here,  Mr.  Clinton," 
remarked  Mr.  Stubbs.  "  It  is  a  pity  there  are 
not  more  people  to  admire  them." 

"It's  a  satisfaction  to  be  well  dressed,  even 
if  you  are  alone,"  observed  Clinton,  gazing  at 
his  trousers  with  rapture. 


254  FACING   THE  WORLD. 

"I  never  cared  "much  for  clothes,"  said 
Stubbs. 

"I  shouldn't  think  he  did,"  said  Clinton 
afterward,  in  confidence  to  Harry.  "Have 
you  noticed  how  baggy  and  shapeless  his 
trousers  are  ?  Really  I  think  he  must  have 
employed  Noah's  tailor.  They  look  as  if  they 
came  out  of  the  ark,  don't  you  know  ?  " 

It  was  decided  not  to  make  another  trip  to 
the  ship  that  day.  Mr.  Holdfast  expressed 
the  opinion  that  the  Nantucket  was  not  in 
any  immediate  danger  of  going  to  pieces,  and 
there  was  other  work  in  hand. 

"Do  you  know  anything  about  the  climate 
here,  Mr.  Holdfast?  "  asked  the  professor. 

"  I  don't  think  it  is  ever  cold.  It  is  too  far 
south  for  that." 

"I  mean  as  to  the  chance  of  rain.  I  am 
told  that  in  these  tropical  places,  rain  comes 
on  very  suddenly  at  times." 

"I  suspect  this  is  the  dry  season,  profes- 
sor." 

"  Still  it  may  be  wise  to  provide  ourselves 
with  some  shelter." 

"  True  ;  have  you  anything  to  suggest  ?  " 


PREPAEING   A   HOME.  255 

"It  occurred  to  me  that  we  might  procure 
some  of  the  sails,  and  use  them  as  a  roof  cover- 
ing, to  shield  us  from  the  heat  of  the  sun,  and 
from  any  unexpected  showers." 

"A  very  good  idea.  I  am  glad  you  men- 
tioned it.  On  the  whole,  I  think  I  will  make 
one  more  trip  to  the  ship  this  afternoon  for 
the  special  purpose  of  bringing  back  materials 
for  a  roof.     Then  we  can  put  it  up  to-night." 

"Better  bring  hatchets,  if  there  are  any  on 
board,  and  some  nails  and  cordage." 

"  Also  well  thought  of.  You  are  a  practi- 
cal man,  professor." 

"  We  shall  all  have  to  think  for  the  general 
benefit.  I  am  sorry  I  can't  do  more  work, 
but  I  never  was  handy  with  tools." 

"  I  am,"  said  Stubbs.  "  In  fact,  most  Yan- 
kees are,  and  I  am  a  Yankee.  You  can  com- 
mand my  services,  Mr.  Holdfast,  in  any  way 
that  you  see  fit." 

Mr.  Holdfast  made  another  trip  to  the 
vessel,  and  brought  back  quite  an  expanse  of 
sail-cloth.  All  hands,  with  the  exception  of 
Mr.  Clinton,  went  to  work  at  once,  and  by 
sunset  a  considerable  space  was  roofed  over, 


256  FACING   THE   WORLD. 

which  the  little  company  regarded  with  com- 
placency. 

"Aren't  you  going  to  have  any  sides  or 
doors?"  asked  Clinton. 

"That  can  be  considered  hereafter,"  said 
Holdfast.  "I  don't  think  we  shall  need  any, 
since  the  probability  is  that  the  island  is  not 
inhabited." 

The  next  morning  a  great  surprise  awaited 
them. 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

AN   UNEXPECTED   ARRIVAL. 

~f~T  might  have  been  because  it  was  the  first 
-*-  night  on  land,  or  perhaps  because  they 
were  unusually  fatigued,  but  at  any  rate  the 
little  party  slept  unusually  late.  The  first  one 
to  awake  was  Harry  Vane.  It  took  very  little 
time  for  him  to  dress,  since  he  had  only  taken 
off  his  coat.  He  glanced  at  his  slumbering 
companions,  who  were  scattered  about  in  dif- 
ferent postures.  Next  to  him  was  Montgom- 
ery Clinton,  who  had  carefully  placed  two 
handkerchiefs  underneath  him  lest  his  ap- 
parel should  be  soiled  by  contact  with  the 
earth.  He  had  been  rather  reluctant  to  sleep 
in  so  unconventional  a  manner,  but  there  was 
no  help  for  it. 

"Really,  Mr.  Vane,"  he  said,  "I  never 
slept  on  the  ground  before.  I  don't  know 
what  my  dear  auntie  would  say  if  she  could 

17  267 


258  FACING  THE  WORLD. 

see  me  now.  She  always  gave  me  a  nice  bed 
with  linen  sheets,  don't  you  know,  and  was  so 
particular  that  I  was  made  comfortable." 

"It  won't  do  us  any  harm  to  rough  it  a 
little,  Mr.  Clinton,"  said  Harry.  "It  will 
make  men  of  us." 

"I  don't  care  about  roughing  it,"  said 
Clinton,  rather  mournfully.  "It's  horridly 
uncomfortable,  and  I  don't  see  the  good 
of  it." 

"  I  don't  think  you'll  find  any  linen  sheets 
on  the  island,"  said  Harry,  smiling,  "unless 
you  put  one  handkerchief  on  the  grass,  and 
spread  the  other  over  you." 

"That's  a  good  idea,  Mr.  Vane.  I'm  aw- 
fully obliged.  I'll  put  two  handkerchiefs  on 
the  grass,  and  that  will  save  my  trousers  from 
being  soiled." 

Harry  could  not  help  wondering  how  long 
Clinton  would  be  able  to  be  so  particular 
about  his  appearance,  but  he  did  not  harrow 
up  that  young  gentleman's  feelings  by  a  pre- 
diction as  to  the  future. 

"I'll  go  up  to  the  spring,  and  have  a 
wash,"  Harry  decided.     "I  won't  wake  any- 


AN   UNEXPECTED   AREIVAL.  259 

body  up,  for  there's  no  hurry  about  getting 
up." 

Returning  from  the  spring,  Harry  for  the 
first  time  looked  in  the  direction  of  the  ship. 
What  he  saw  filled  him  with  amazement. 
The  wreck  which  he  had  thought  deserted 
was  alive  with  men.  He  saw  a  dozen  on 
deck,  including  two  who  were  obviously 
not  sailors.  He  could  not  immediately  dis- 
cern the  figures,  and  ran  hastily  to  the  top  of 
the  bluff.  Then  he  made  the  startling  dis- 
covery that  these  intruders  were  the  captain 
and  his  companions  who  had  abandoned  the 
ship  in  the  expectation  that  it  was  doomed, 
and  after  floating  about  in  the  long-boat 
had  by  a  wonderful  coincidence  drifted  to 
the  very  point  which  they  themselves  had 
reached. 

Harry  did  not  know  whether  to  be  glad  or 
sorry.  He  felt  that  there  was  likely  to  be  an- 
tagonism between  the  two  parties.  All  was 
harmony  at  present  under  the  management 
of  Mr.  Holdfast,  but  this  was  not  likely  to 
last.  Would  the  captain  assume  general 
command,  and  interfere  with  their  arrange- 


260  FACING   THE   WORLD. 

ments  \  From  what  he  knew  of  him,  he 
thought  it  likely.  Of  course  he  was  glad 
that  the  captain  and  his  companions  were 
saved,  but  he  would  have  preferred  that  they 
had  drifted  in  some  other  direction. 

The  news  was  too  important  to  keep,  and 
he  returned  to  their  encampment,  and  enter- 
ing, approached  the  mate,  who  was  sleeping 
soundly.  He  leaned  over  and  shook  him 
gently. 

"Mr.  Holdfast!"  he  cried. 

The  mate  slowly  opened  his  eyes,  and 
started  up. 

"What's  the  matter?"  he  asked.  "Has 
anything  happened? " 

"I've  got  great  news  for  you,  Mr.  Holdfast. 
Captain  Hill  has  arrived." 

"What!"  exclaimed  the  mate,  in  amaze- 
ment.    "  Arrived — where  ?  " 

"He  is  at  this  moment  on  board  the  Nan- 
tucket, with  all  the  men  that  accompanied 
him  in  the  long-boat." 

Uttering  an  exclamation  of  amazement,  Mr. 
Holdfast  sprang  from  the  ground,  and  hastily 
made  his  way  to  the  edge  of  the  bluff. 


AN  UNEXPECTED   ARKIVAL.  261 

"By  Jove!"  said  lie,  "you're  right.  I 
never  heard  of  anything   more  wonderful." 

Harry  could  not  tell  from  the  expression  of 
his  face  whether  he  considered  the  news  good 
or  not. 

"  Go  and  wake  up  the  rest,  Harry,"  he  said. 
"  They  will  be  surprised,  too." 

It  is  needless  to  say  that  the  news  produced 
surprise  and  excitement.  All  hurried  to  the 
edge  of  the  bluff,  and  Mr.  Clinton,  in  his  ex- 
citement, waved  one  of  his  extemporized  sheets. 

"There's  that  fool  again!"  said  Captain 
Hill,  as,  looking  shoreward,  he  observed  this 
signal. 

It  was  fortunate  for  Mr.  Clinton  that  he  did 
not  hear  this  remark. 

"  Will  they  come  on  shore,  do  you  think  ?" 
asked  Harry  of  the  mate. 

"They  will  have  to;  but  I  shall  at  once 
go  out  to  the  ship  to  report  to  my  superior 
officer.     You  and  Jack  may  go  with  me." 

It  is  needless  to  say  that  both  boys  were 
very  glad  to  accept  the  invitation.  The  rest 
of  the  party  remained  on  shore  and  watched 
the  boat's  course. 


262  FACING  THE   WOELD. 

"What  will  be  the  issue  of  this,  Mr. 
Stubbs  ? "  asked  the  professor  thought- 
fully. 

"I  am  afraid  there  will  be  friction.  The 
captain  is  a  natural  despot,  and  he  will  under- 
take to  control  us." 

"He  can  have  no  authority  after  the  ship 
is  wrecked." 

"  He  will  claim  it,  as  sure  as  my  name  is 
Stubbs.  The  fact  is,  I  am  rather  sorry  he 
hadn't  managed  to  drift  to  another  island, 
Mr.  Holdfast  is  a  much  more  agreeable  man 
to  deal  with." 

"I  agree  with  you.  As  a  passenger,  I 
shall  not  recognize  the  captain's  authority 
on  shore." 

"Nor  I." 

Meanwhile  the  mate  and  the  two  boys  had 
pulled  to  the  ship,  and  securing  the  boat, 
scrambled  on  deck. 

"Good-morning,  Captain  Hill;  I  am  glad 
to  meet  you  once  more,"  said   the  mate. 

"Humph!"  growled  the  captain,  not  over 
politely.     "When  did  you  reach  here?" 

1 '  Yesterday  morning. ' ' 


AN   UNEXPECTED   ARRIVAL.  263 

"  Where  are  the  rest  of  your  party  ? " 

"We  have  a  little  camp  just  back  of  the 
bluff." 

"I  see  you  have  been  removing  articles 
from  the  ship,"  continued  the  captain,  in  a 
tone  of  disapproval. 

"Certainly,"  answered  the  mate.  "We 
need  them,  and  I  didn't  know  how  long  the 
ship  would  last." 

"She  seems  in  no  immediate  danger  of 
going  to  pieces." 

"  Things  look  more  favorable  than  they  did 
yesterday  morning.  What  sort  of  a  trip  did 
you  have  in  the  boat  ? " 

"A  curious  question  to  ask,"  said  the  cap- 
tain captiously.  "We  were  in  danger  of 
being  swamped  more  than  once." 

"  We  had  better  have  remained  on  board 
the  Nantucket  with  you,  Mr.  Holdfast,"  said 
Appleton,  the  Melbourne  merchant. 

Captain  Hill  chose  to  take  offence  at  this 
remark. 

"You  were  quite  at  liberty  to  stay,  Mr. 
Appleton,"  he  said.  "I  didn't  urge  you  to 
go  with  me." 


264  FACING  THE  WORLD. 

"True,  Captain  Hill,  but  I  trusted  to  your 
opinion  that  the  ship  was  unsafe." 

The  captain  looked  angry,  but  did  not  make 
any  reply. 

By  the  sailors,  Mr.  Holdfast  was  warmly 
greeted.  He  was  much  better  liked  than  the 
captain,  being  a  man  of  even  temper,  and 
reasonable  in  his  demands. 

"Good-morning,  Mr.  Holdfast,"  said  Mar- 
maduke  Timmins,  the  valetudinarian.  "I 
am  glad  to  be  out  of  that  miserable  boat." 

"Then  you  didn't  have  a  good  time." 

"I  came  near  dying,  sir.  I  managed  to 
lose  overboard  all  the  pills  and  powders  I 
carried  with  me,  and,  if  you  will  believe  it,  I 
haven't  taken  any  medicine  for  four  entire 
days." 

"You  don't  seem  any  the  worse  for  it, 
that  I  can  see.  Indeed,  you  seem  to  be  less 
sallow." 

Mr.  Timmins  shook  his  head  in  a  melan- 
choly way. 

"You  can't  depend  upon  surface  indica- 
tions," he  said.  "  I  feel" — striking  his  breast 
— "  that  I  am  worse,  much  worse." 


AN   UNEXPECTED   ARRIVAL.  265 

"I  hope,  then,  you  have  more  pills  on 
board,"  said  the  mate  politely. 

"Yes,  fortunately.  I  could  not  have  lived 
long  without  them." 

"  That  man  is  a  greater  fool  than  Clinton," 
thought  Holdfast.  "One  poisons  himself 
with  drugs,  while  the  other  only  indulges  a 
little  harmless  vanity." 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

THE  LAST   OF  THE    "  NANTUCKET. " 

THOUGH  the  mate  had  removed  some  ot 
the  stores,  much  the  larger  portion  was 
left  on  board,  for  the  Nantucket-  had  been 
provisioned  for  a  long  voyage.  Yet  Captain 
Hill  saw  fit   to  complain. 

"It  is  fortunate  that  you  didn't  take  all 
the  stores,  Mr.  Holdfast,"  he  remarked,  in  a 
sarcastic  tone. 

The  mate  eyed  the  captain  steadily. 

"  May  I  ask  your  meaning,  Captain  Hill  %  " 
he  asked. 

"I  mean  what  I  say,  sir.  I  think  my  lan- 
guage requires  no  interpreter." 

"Then  I  can  only  reply  that  it  would  have 
made  no  difference  if  I  had  removed  all  the 
provisions." 

"You  appear  to  forget  that  I  am  your 
superior  officer,"  said  the  captain,  in  a  heat. 


THE   LAST   OF  THE    "NANTUCKET."        267 

"I  had  no  superior  officer  at  the  time  I 
ordered  the  removal." 

"You  have  now,  at  any  rate." 

"We  are  not  at  sea,  Captain  Hill.  The 
vessel  is  wrecked,  and  all  distinctions  are  at 
an   end.     Now  it  is  each  for  himself." 

"  So,  sir,  you  defy  my  authority ! " 
exclaimed  the  captain,  looking  back. 

"I  don't  recognize  it,  that  is  all." 

"You  shall,  sir!"  retorted  the  captain, 
frowning.  "You  shall  learn,  also,  that  I 
have  means  to  enforce  it.  I  have  nearly  a 
dozen  seamen  under  me,  and  you  have  only 
the  boy,  Jack  Pendleton." 

"  Captain  Hill,  all  this  is  very  foolish.  We 
are  shipwrecked,  and  have  taken  refuge  on 
the  same  island.  Instead  of  quarrelling,  we 
should  help  each  other." 

"  So  you  presume  to  lecture  me  !  "  sneered 
the  captain. 

Mr.  Holdfast  didn't  care  to  continue  the 
dispute. 

"  I  am  ready  to  help  you  remove  what  you 
require,"  he  said  quietly.  "It  will  be  well 
to  remove  as  much  as  possible  to-day,  for  we 


268  FACING  THE   WORLD. 

may  at  any  time  have  a  storm  that  will 
effectually  put  an  end  to  our  work." 

"  Very  well,  sir ;  I  am  glad  you  show  a 
better  spirit." 

The  mate  was  both  annoyed  and  amused  at 
this  evident  intention  to  throw  upon  him  the 
whole  onus  of  the  quarrel,  but  he  did  not  care 
to  reply.  He  and  the  two  boys  helped  remove 
the  stores,  and  it  being  quite  early,  by  noon 
several  boat-loads  had  been  deposited  on 
shore,  to  be  removed  farther  inland  when 
there  was  a  good  opportunity.  One  thing  Mr. 
Holdfast  noted  with  apprehension.  There 
was  a  considerable  quantity  of  brandy  and 
other  spirits  in  the  captain's  cabin,  which  he 
took  care  to  have  included  in  the  articles 
removed.  Remembering  the  captain's  weak- 
ness, he  feared  this  might  lead  to  trouble. 
But  he  did  not  take  it  upon  himself  to  remon- 
strate, knowing  that  in  the  state  of  the  cap- 
tain's feelings  toward  him  it  would  be  worse 
than  useless. 

By  three  o'clock  about  all  the  stores,  with 
other  needful  articles,  had  been  removed,  and 
there  was  a  large  pile  on  the  bluff. 


THE  LAST   OF  THE    "NANTUCKET."        269 

"  Captain,  will  you  walk  over  and  see  my 
encampment?"  asked  Holdfast,  now  that 
there  was  leisure. 

"Lead  on,  sir,"  said  the  captain,  not  over 
politely. 

It  was  not  far  away,  and  a  short  walk 
brought  them  in  front  of  it. 

"  Perhaps  you  will  feel  inclined  to  settle 
near  by,"  suggested  Holdfast. 

"No,  sir;  I  don't  care  to  intrude  upon 
you." 

Eventually  the  captain  selected  a  spot  about 
half  a  mile  away.  Here  an  encampment  was 
made,  very  similar  to  the  mate's,  but  on  a 
larger  scale. 

' 1 1  am  glad  the  captain  is  not  close  along- 
side," said  Jack  Pendleton. 

"  So  am  I,"  answered  Harry,  to  whom  this 
remark  was  made.  "We  are  better  off  by 
ourselves." 

"  He  would  be  sure  to  interfere  with  us.  I 
saw  him  scowling  at  me  more  than  once  this 
morning.     You  know  he  don't  like  me." 

"Nor  me  either,  Jack.  It  will  be  well  for 
both  of  us  to  keep  out  of  his  way." 


270  FACING   THE   WORLD. 

To  the  great  delight  of:  Clinton,  more  of  his 
"wardrobe,"  as  he  called  it,  was  brought 
ashore.  For  this  he  was  indebted  to  the  good- 
natured  persistence  of  Harry,  who,  though 
amused  at  the  vanity  of  the  young  man  from 
Brooklyn,  felt  disposed  to  gratify  him  in  a 
harmless  whim. 

"You  are  awfully  kind,  Mr.  Vane,"  said 
Clinton.  "Did  you  save  your  own  ward- 
robe?" 

"I  have  an  extra  pair  of  pants,  and  some 
underclothing." 

"Don't  say  pants — it's  vulgar.  Say  trou- 
sers," expostulated  Clinton. 

"  It  comes  to  the  same  thing,  I  fancy,"  said 
Harry,  with  a  smile. 

"If  you  should  get  short  of  clothing,  I'll 
give  you  a  pair  of  my  trousers,"  said  Clinton 
generously. 

"Thank  you,  Mr.  Clinton." 

Harry  doubted,  however,  whether  he  should 
avail  himself  of  the  offer.  Clinton's  limbs 
were  exceedingly  attenuated,  and  his  trousers 
were  an  exact  fit.  Now  Harry  had  a  sturdy 
pair  of  legs,  and  felt  sure  it  would  be  impos- 


THE   LAST   OF  THE    "NANTUCKET."        271 

sible  to  get  them  into  his  companion's  trousers. 
He  contented  himself,  however,  with  thanking 
him. 

The  two  parties  remained  apart,  the  original 
boat-load  remaining  with  the  captain,  while 
four  passengers  and  Jack  Pendleton  stayed 
with  the  mate.  Captain  Hill  showed  a  dis- 
position to  claim  Jack,  but  Holdfast  said 
quietly:  "I  think,  captain,  Jack  had  better 
stay  with  me  for  the  present,  as  he  is  company 
for  Harry  Vane." 

The  captain  looked  dissatisfied,  but  was  too 
tired  to  remonstrate  at  that  time.  He  went  to 
his  own  encampment  and  indulged  in  liberal 
potations  of  brandy,  which  had  the  effect  of 
sending  him  to  sleep. 

That  night  a  violent  wind  sprang  up.  It 
blew  from  the  sea  inland,  and  though  it  did 
not  affect  the  shipwrecked  parties  or  their 
encampments  seriously,  on  account  of  their 
being  screened  by  the  intervening  bluff,  it  had 
another  effect  which  a  day  or  two  previous 
might  have  been  disastrous.  The  ill-fated 
Nantucket  was  driven  with  such  force  against 
the  reef  that  the  strength  of  her  hull  was  over- 


272  FACING   THE   WORLD. 

taxed.  When  the  mate  went  to  the  edge  of 
the  bluff  in  the  morning  to  take  an  observa- 
tion, he  was  startled  to  find  in  place  of  the 
wreck  a  confused  debris  of  timbers  and  frag- 
ments of  the  wreck.  Kegs  and  chests  which 
it  had  not  been  thought  necessary  to  move 
had  been  thrown  upon  the  reef,  and  the  ele- 
ments had  done  a  work  of  destruction  which 
the  skill  of  man  would  have  found  it  hard  to 
repair,, 

As  the  mate  was  surveying  the  scene  of 
ruin,  Jack  and  Harry  joined  him. 

"Look  there,  my  lads!"  said  Holdfast. 
"That's  the  last  of  the  poor  old  Nantucket. 
She  will  never  float  again." 

They  had  known  this  before,  but  it  was  now 
impressed  upon  their  minds  forcibly,  and  a 
feeling  of  sadness  came  over  the  three. 

"That  settles  it,"  said  Harry,  giving  ex- 
pression to  a  common  feeling.  "We  are 
prisoners  on  the  island  now,  and  no  mis- 
take." 

"When  we  leave  here,  it  won't  be  on  the 
Nantucket,  anyway,"  said  Jack. 

"It  is  lucky  this  happened  after  we  had 


THE   LAST   OF   THE    "NANTUCKET."       273 

brought  our  stock  of  provisions  ashore,"  said 
the  mate. 

"Let  us  go  down  and  see  what  these  kegs 
and  boxes  contain,"  suggested  Harry. 

So  the  three  descended  to  the  reef,  and  be- 
gan to  examine  the  articles  thrown  ashore. 
For  the  most  part  they  were  of  little  value, 
though  here  and  there  were  articles  that 
might  prove  useful. 

"Couldn't  we  make  a  raft  out  of  the  tim- 
bers of  the  old  ship  1 "  asked  Jack. 

"That  is  worth  thinking  of,  though  a  raft 
would  not  do  for  a  long  voyage,"  said  Hold- 
fast. 

"  No,  but  we  might  be  picked  up." 

"  When  the  captain's  party  is  awake  it  will 
be  well  for  us  to  haul  the  loose  timbers  up  to 
a  place  of  safety." 

"Here's  Clinton's  trunk,"  said  Harry,  bend- 
ing over  and  recognizing  the  initials.  "Here 
is  the  name,  'M.  C,  Brooklyn.'  He  will  be 
overjoyed.  Suppose  we  take  it  up  between 
us." 

No  opposition  being  made  by  Mr.  Holdfast, 
the  boys  took  it  between  them,  preceding  the 

18 


274  FACING   THE  WORLD. 

mate.  They  had  just  reached  the  summit  of 
the  bluff. 

"Put  down  that  trunk!"  said  a  stern 
voice. 

Looking  up,  the  boys  saw  that  the  speaker 
was  Captain  Hill. 


CHAPTEE  XXXII. 

THE   CAPTAIN   INTERFEEES. 

THE  captain's  face  was  of  dull  brick  red, 
and  it  was  clear  that  he  had  already 
been  drinking,  early  as  it  was.  Naturally  the 
boys,  on  hearing  his  voice,  put  down  the 
trunk  in  their  surprise,  but  they  maintained 
the  position,  one  on  each  side  of  it.  Of  the 
two,  Jack  was  the  more  impressed,  having 
been  one  of  the  crew,  and  subject  to  the  cap- 
tain's authority  on  shipboard.  Harry,  as  a 
passenger,  felt  more  independent.  Indeed,  he 
was  indignant,  and  ready  to  resist  what  he 
thought  uncalled-for  interference  on  the  part 
of  the  captain. 

"This  is  Mr.  Clinton's  trunk,"  he  said. 
"We  are  going  to  carry  it  to  him." 

"Do  you  dare  to  dispute  my  authority?" 
roared  the  captain,  his  red  face  becoming  still 
redder. 


276  FACING   THE   W0KLD. 

"I  don't  see  what  you  have  to  do  with  the 
trunk,"  answered  Harry  boldly. 

"  This  to  me  !  "  shrieked  the  captain,  look- 
ing as  if  he  were  going  to  have  a  fit  of  apo- 
plexy.    "  Do  you  know  who  I  am  ? " 

"  You  were  the  captain  of  the  Nantucket" 
said  Harry  quietly. 

The  captain,  notwithstanding  his  condition, 
noticed  that  Harry  used  the  past  tense. 

"I  am  still  the  captain  of  the  Nantucket,  as 
I  mean  to  show  you,"  he  retorted. 

"Then,  sir,  you  are  captain  of  a  wreck  that 
has  gone  to  pieces." 

Captain  Hill  upon  this  looked  at  the  frag- 
ments of  the  unfortunate  ship,  and  for  the 
first  time  took  in  what  had  happened. 

"It  doesn't  matter,"  said  he,  after  a  brief 
pause,  "I  am  in  command  here,  and"  (here 
he  interpolated  an  oath)  "I  don't  allow  any 
interference  with  my  authority." 

"  You  are  not  captain  of  Mr.  Clinton's 
trunk,"  said  Harry,  in  a  spirited  tone.  "Jack, 
let  us  carry  it  along." 

This  was  too  much  for  the  captain.  With 
a  look  of  fury  on  his  face,  he  dashed  toward 


THE   CAPTAIN   INTERFERES,  277 

Harry,  and  there  is  no  doubt  that  our  young 
hero  was  in  serious  danger.  He  paled  slightly, 
for  he  knew  he  was  no  match  for  the  tall, 
sinewy  captain,  and  was  half  regretting  his 
independence  when  he  felt  himself  drawn 
forcibly  to  one  side,  and  in  his  place  stood 
the  mate,  sternly  eying  the  infuriated  cap- 
tain. 

"  What  do  you  want  to  do,  Captain  Hill  ? " 
he  asked. 

"To  crush  that  young  viper  !  "  shouted  the 
captain  fiercely. 

"You  shall  not  harm  a  hair  of  his 
head  !  " 

"Is  this  mutiny,  Mr.  Holdfast?  Are  you 
aware  that  you  are  speaking  to  your  superior 
officer?" 

' '  I  have  no  superior  officer  here,  Captain 
Hill.  You  were  captain  on  shipboard,  but 
the  ship  has  gone  to  pieces." 

Captain  Hill  seemed  astounded  by  this 
answer. 

"Do  you  dispute  my  authority,  sir?"  he 
ejaculated. 

"I  do." 


278  FACING  THE   WORLD. 

"  Zounds,  sir,  this  is  mutiny !  " 

"  Then  make  the  most  of  it,"  said  the  mate 
contemptuously. 

"  I  will  have  you  put  in  irons." 

Mr.  Holdfast  smiled. 

"I  don't  think  any  irons  were  brought 
ashore,"  he  said.  "You  have  been  drinking, 
Captain  Hill,  or  you  would  not  make  such  a 
foolish  threat." 

By  this  time  the  captain's  wrath  had  been 
diverted  to  the  mate.  He  struck  out  with  his 
right  hand,  intending  to  fell  him  to  the  earth, 
but,  the  mate  swerving,  he  fell  from  the  force 
of  his  abortive  blow,  and  being  under  the 
influence  of  his  morning  potations,  could  not 
immediately  rise. 

"  Boys,"  said  Mr.  Holdfast,  "  you  may  take 
hold  of  the  trunk  again,  and  go  on  with  it. 
Don't  be  afraid.  If  the  captain  makes  any 
attempt  to  assault  you,  he  will  have  me  to 
deal  with." 

Harry  and  Jack  did  as  directed.  Jack, 
however,  could  not  help  feeling  a  little  ner- 
vous, his  old  fear  of  the  captain  asserting  it- 
self.    But  Harry,  confident  in  the  protection 


THE  CAPTAIN  INTERFERES.       279 

of  his  good  friend  the  mate,  was  quite  uncon- 
cerned. 

Mr.  Holdfast  walked  on  beside  them. 

"The  captain  seems  disposed  to  make 
trouble,"  he  said.  "He  fancies  that  he  is 
captain  of  this  island,  as  he  was  chief  officer 
of  the  Nanticcket.  I  shall  convince  him  of 
his  mistake." 

"I  hope  you  won't  get  into  any  trouble  on 
my  account,  Mr.  Holdfast,"  said  Harry  con- 
siderately. 

"Thank  you,  my  lad,  but  Tom  Holdfast 
doesn't  propose  to  let  any  man  walk  over  him, 
even  if  it  is  his  old  skipper.  Now  that  the 
ship  is  gone,  Captain  Hill  has  no  more  author- 
ity here  than  I  have." 

As  the  captain  fell,  his  head  came  in  con- 
tact with  a  timber  with  such  violence  that, 
combined  with  his  condition,  he  was  forced  to 
lie  where  he  fell  for  over  an  hour. 

As  the  boys  emerged  upon  the  bluff  with 
the  trunk,  Clinton,  who  had  just  got  up,  rec- 
ognized it  and  ran  up  to  them,  his  face  beam- 
ing with  delight. 

"Oh,   Mr.    Yane ! "   he    said,   "have    you 


280  FACING   THE  WORLD. 

really  brought  my  trunk  ?    You  are  awfully 
kind." 

"Twenty-five  cents  apiece,  please,  Mr. 
Clinton,"  said  Harry,  smiling.  "We  don't 
work  for  nothing." 

"Really,  upon  my  word,"  said  Clinton, 
thrusting  his  hands  into  his  pockets,  "I  am 
afraid  I. haven't  got  my  purse  with  me." 

"That's  a  pity,"  said  Harry  gravely,  "for 
I  wanted  to  call  at  a  cheap  furnishing  goods 
store  and  buy  a  cheap  necktie.  Didn't  you, 
Jack?" 

"  Oh,  you're  joking  !  Very  good,  upon  my 
word.  But  I'm  awfully  obliged,  don't  you 
know?" 

"  You've  had  a  narrow  escape,  Mr.  Clinton. 
The  captain  met  us,  and  forbade  our  bringing 
the  trunk." 

"Why?"  asked  Clinton,  with  eyes  opened 
wide. 

"  I  think  he  wanted  it  himself." 

"But  he  couldn't  wear  my  trousers,"  said 
Clinton,  perplexed. 

The  mere  suggestion  of  the  burly  captain 
incasing  his  legs  in   Clinton's  dude-like  gar- 


THE   CAPTAIN   INTERFERES.  281 

ments  sent  both  boys  into  a  gale  of  laughter. 
Clinton  surveyed  them  with  a  wondering 
smile.     He  didn't  see  the  joke. 

"  You'd  better  put  the  trunk  away  where 
the  captain  won't  see  it,  or  there's  no 
knowing  what  will  happen,"  suggested 
Harry. 

Then  they  had  breakfast — a  very  plain 
meal,  as  might  be  supposed.  Some  of  the 
sailors  came  over  from  the  other  camp,  and 
one  of  them  asked  Mr.  Holdfast  if  he  had 
seen  the  captain. 

"You will  find  him  on  the  beach,"  answered 
the  mate.  "He  has  been  carrying  too  much 
sail,  I  think,"  he  added  dryly. 

The  sailor  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

"  He  wanted  me  and  Jack  Bowling  to  stand 
watch  last  night,"  he  said.  "He  thought 
he  was  on  the  ship." 

"Did  you?" 

"We  just  stood  outside  till  he  was  asleep, 
and  then  we  turned  in." 

"  He'll  never  stand  on  the  NantuckeV s  deck 
again." 

"Why  not?" 


282  FACING  THE   W0KLD. 

"In  the  blow  last  night  the  ship  went  to 
pieces." 

The  sailor  hurried  to  the  edge  of  the  bluff, 
anxious  to  see  for  himself. 

"That's  so,  Mr.  Holdfast,"  he  said  soberly. 
"  Shall  we  ever  see  America  again,  think  you  ?" 

"A  brave  man  never  despairs,  Tom.  We 
can  rig  up  a  raft  or  something.  Meanwhile 
we've  got  enough  to  eat  for  a  couple  of 
months.     There's  some  satisfaction  in  that." 

"And  the  captain  saved  his  brandy.  He's 
got  enough  to  last  him  longer  than  that,  if  he 
don't  get  help." 

"What  do  you  mean  by  that  ? " 

"I  mean  that  there's  some  of  the  men  as 
fond  of  spirits  as  he  is.  I  expect  he'll  have 
help." 

"You  don't  include  yourself,  I  hope, 
Tom." 

"No,  Mr.  Holdfast.  My  brother  died  of 
drink  a  year  ago,  and  though  up  to  that  time 
I'd  taken  my  glass  of  grog  along  with  the  rest 
of  my  shipmates,  I  swore  off  then,  and  I 
haven't  drunk  a  glass  since,  and  I  don't 
mean  to." 


THE   CAPTAIN-   INTERFERES.  283 

"  Then  you're  a  wise  man.  To  my  thinking, 
the  brandy  had  better  have  been  left  aboard. 
Nothing  but  harm  can  come  of  it.  I've  had 
trouble  with  the  captain  already  this  morning 
on  account  of  it,  and  I'm  afraid  this  isn't  the 
end." 

After  a  while  the  captain  picked  himself 
up  and  gazed  moodily  at  the  wreck,  of  which 
so  little  remained.  Then,  the  events  of  the 
morning  recurring  to  him,  he  frowned  sav- 
agely, and,  turning  toward  the  bluff,  he  shook 
his  fist  angrily  in  the  direction  of  the  mate's 
encampment. 


CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

THE  ITALIAN   SAILOR. 

FOR  several  days  nothing  of  note  occurred 
on  the  island.  The  captain  exhibited  an 
inclination  for  solitude.  In  the  morning  he 
would  drink  freely,  and  then  wander  off  by 
himself,  not  returning  till  nightfall.  It  must 
be  admitted  that  his  absence  was  felt  as  a 
relief  by  both  parties.  When  at  the  camp, 
he  showed  a  disposition  to  domineer  as  if 
he  were  still  the  tyrant  of  the  quarter-deck. 

Not  having  anything  especial  on  their 
hands,  the  shipwrecked  party,  still  keeping 
apart  in  their  two  camps,  amused  themselves 
as  best  they  could.  Still  there  were  hours, 
and  plenty  of  them,  when  all  felt  blue. 

An  idea  came  to  Harry. 

"  Professor,"  he  said  to  his  employer, 
"  why  can't  we  give  one  of  our  entertainments 
this  evening?" 

284 


THE  ITALIAN   SAILOR.  285 

"Is  there  any  hall  that  we  can  have?" 
asked  the  professor,  smiling. 

"I  think  it  will  be  best  to  make  an  open 
air  entertainment,  under  the  circumstances," 
returned  Harry.  "You  see  some  of  the  men 
are  getting  down-hearted  when  they  think  of 
the  small  prospect  of  seeing  home,  and  it  may 
cheer  them  up  a  little." 

"It's  a  good  idea,  Harry,"  said  the  pro- 
fessor seriously.  "By  good  luck,  I  have  in 
my  trunk"  (the  professor's  trunk,  like  Clin- 
ton's, had  come  ashore)  "some  printed  pro- 
grammes, requiring  only  the  insertion  of  place 
and  time,  and  you  may  post  two  of  them 
up,  one  at  each  camp.  Of  course  you  will 
assist." 

"  I  will  do  my  best." 

Great  was  the  surprise  and  interest  when 
the  sailors  and  passengers  saw  the  printed 
posters  attached  to  trees,  Harry  having 
attended  to  that  duty  in  person,  setting  forth 
that  a  magical  entertainment  would  that  even- 
ing be  given,  admission  free,  beginning  at 
seven  o'clock.  The  hour  was  made  early, 
because  there  was  no  means  of  lighting  up. 


286  FACING  THE   WORLD. 

"I  say,  Jack,  that  'minds  me  of  home," 
said  Tim.  "Never  did  I  expect  to  see  a  bit 
of  printin'  nor  a  theayter  agin." 

"  You're  right,  Tim.     It  looks  good,  it  do." 

Nothing  was  spoken  of  all  day  but  the 
entertainment,  and  half  an  hour  before  the 
time  the  audience  collected. 

Fortunately  the  professor  had  saved  in  his 
trunk  all  the  implements  of  his  profession, 
and  the  entertainmeut  he  gave,  therefore,  was 
quite  as  good  as  he  was  accustomed  to  furnish 
on  shore.  Some  of  the  sailors  had  never  seen 
any  such  exhibition,  and  they  gazed  with 
open-eyed  wonder  at  the  tricks  and  transfor- 
mations in  which  Harry  ably  seconded  the 
"Magician  of  Madagascar."  The  ventril- 
oquism, too,  excited  amazement,  and  some 
were  half  disposed  to  think  that  the  professor 
was  in  league  with  unholy  powers. 

At  the  close  the  professor  said  : 

"Our  young  friend,  Harry  Vane,  will  now 
oblige  us  all  by  a  song." 

Harry  stepped  to  the  front  and  sang — he 
had  not  decided  upon  the  song — "Home, 
Sweet  Home !" 


THE   ITALIAN   SAILOR.  287 

Before  he  had  finished  it  tears  came  to  the 
eyes  of  more  than  one  of  the  sturdy  sailors. 
The  song  intensified  their  yearning  for  home, 
and  the  doubt  whether  they  would  ever  leave 
the  island  powerfully  affected  them.  From 
the  same  cause  Harry's  own  voice  became 
tremulous,  and  he  saw  that  he  had  made  a 
mistake. 

"This  won't  do,  Harry,"  said  the  profes- 
sor, in  a  low  voice.  "Give  them  something 
jolly.  Let  us  send  them  away  in  good 
spirits." 

Harry  took  the  hint,  and  dashed  into  a 
lively  song  that  soon  called  forth  smiles  to  the 
faces  but  lately  sad.  He  followed  it  up  by 
another,  and  was  greeted  with  uproarious 
applause. 

"Ladies  and  gentlemen,"  said  the  professor 
— "I  beg  pardon,  gentlemen,  for  the  ladies 
are  unavoidably  absent.  This  concludes  our 
entertainment  for  this  evening.  Hoping  that 
you  have  been  pleased  with  our  humble 
efforts,  Harry  and  myself  will  now  bid  you 
good-night." 

"That  professor's  a  smart  man,"  was  the 


288  FACING  THE  WOULD. 

opinion  expressed  by  more  than  one,  "and 
the  lad  sings  like  a  martingale." 

"That  isn't  the  word,  Jack.  You're  all 
wrong." 

"Well,  it's  some  kind  of  bird.  I  disre- 
member  the  exact  name." 

All  the  party  were  present  except  one. 
Captain  Hill  didn't  make  his  appearance  till 
the  meeting  was  breaking  up.  Then  he  came 
in  sight  round  the  corner  of  the  encamp- 
ment. "What's  all  this?"  he  demanded 
suspiciously  of  a  sailor.  "What  mischief 
have  you  been  hatching  up,  while  I  was 
away?" 

"  That  poster  will  inform  you,  Captain 
Hill,"  said  the  mate,  pointing  to  the  tree 
close  by,  to  which  it  was  attached.  "The 
professor  has  been  trying  to  cheer  up  the 
men  a  little." 

The  captain  muttered  something  under  his 
breath,  and  passed  on. 

Among  the  sailors  was  an  Italian  named 
Francesco.  Probably  he  had  another  name, 
but  no  one  knew  what  it  was.  In  fact  a 
sailor's  last  name  is  very  little  used.     He  was 


THE  ITALIAN   SAILOR,  289 

a  man  of  middle  height,  very  swarthy,  with 
bright  black  eyes,  not  unpopular  for  the  most 
part,  but  with  a  violent  temper.  His  chief 
fault  was  a  love  of  strong  drink.  On  board 
the  Nantucket  grog  had  been  served  to  the 
crew,  and  with  that  he  had  been  content. 
But  at  the  time  of  the  wreck  no  spirits  had 
been  saved  but  the  captain's  stock  of  brandy. 
Francesco  felt  this  to  be  a  great  hardship. 
More  than  any  other  sailor  he  felt  the  need  of 
his  usual  stimulant.  It  was  very  tantalizing 
to  him  to  see  the  captain  partaking  of  his 
private  stock  of  brandy,  while  he  was  com- 
pelled to  get  along  on  water. 

"The  capitan  is  too  mucha  selfish,"  he  said 
one  day  to  a  fellow  sailor.  "  He  should  share 
his  brandy  with  the  men." 

Ben  Brady,  the  sailor  to  whom  he  was 
speaking,  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

"Brandy  is  too  good  for  the  likes  of  us," 
he  said. 

"Who  says  that?"  demanded  the  Italian 
angrily. 

"  I  say  so,  my  hearty." 

"  Then  the  capitan  he  not  say  so,  eh?" 

19 


290  FACING   THE  WORLD. 

"I  never  heard  him  say  so,  but  no  doubt  he 
thinks  so." 

"I  no  want  brandy  if  I  can  get  grog ;  but 
there  is  no  grog." 

"Then  you  will  have  to  do  without." 

"I  think  I  will  try  some  of  the  capitan's 
brandy  when  he  is  away,"  said  Francesco 
slyly. 

"If  you  do,  you  will  get  into  trouble.  The 
captain  will  half  murder  you  if  he  finds  it 
out." 

"He  is  not  capitan  now — we  are  all  equal- 
all  comrades.     We  are  not  on  ze  sheep." 

"  Take  my  advice,  Francesco,  and  leave  the 
brandy  alone." 

Francesco  did  not  reply,  but  he  became 
more  and  more  bent  on  his  design.  His  mouth 
watered,  if  that  is  a  correct  expression,  for  the 
brandy  which  he  saw  the  captain  partake  of 
every  day.  Why  should  one  man  monopolize 
all  the  good  spirit,  he  asked  himself,  when  he 
was  suffering  for  a  draught  of  it  ? 

He  watched  the  captain,  and  ascertained 
where  he  kept  his  secret  store.  Then  he 
watched  his  opportunity  to  help  himself  to  it. 


THE  ITALIAN   SAILOR.  291 

It  was  some  time  before  he  had  an  opportunity 
to  do  so  unobserved,  but  at  length  the  chance 
came. 

The  first  draught  brought  light  to  his  eyes, 
and  made  him  smack  his  lips  with  enjoyment. 
It  was  so  long  since  he  had  tasted  the  for- 
bidden nectar  that  he  drank  again  and  again, 
forgetting  that  brandy  has  a  strength  which 
the  more  common  liquors  to  which  he  was 
accustomed  have  not.  Finally  he  found  him- 
self overcome  by  his  potations,  and  sank  upon 
the  ground  in  a  drunken  stupor. 

He  was  getting  over  the  effects  when,  to  his 
ill  luck,  the  captain  returned  from  his  usual 
solitary  ramble,  and  wended  his  way  to  the 
place  where  he  had  stored  his  brandy.  Prone 
on  the  ground,  in  a  state  which  no  one  could 
misunderstand,  he  saw  Francesco. 

"He  has  been  at  my  brandy!"  Captain 
Hill  said  to  himself,  with  flaming  eyes. 
"  The  fool  shall  pay  dearly  for  his  temerity." 

He  advanced  hastily  to  the  prostrate  man 
and  administered  a  severe  kick,  which  at  once 
aroused  the  half  stupefied  man. 

Francesco  looked    up  with  alarm,  for  the 


292  FACING   THE  WORLD. 

captain  was  a  much  larger  and  stronger  man 
than  himself. 

"Pardon,  signor  capitan,"  he  entreated. 

"You  have  been  drinking  my  brandy,  you 
beast,"  said  Captain  Hill  furiously. 

"  Pardon  me  ;  indeed  I  could  not  help  it,  I 
was  so  thirsty." 

"I  pardon  you?"  roared  the  captain. 
"I'll  give  you  a  lesson  you  will  never  forget." 

I  draw  a  veil  over  the  brutal  treatment  poor 
Francesco  received.  Whe>  it  was  over  he 
crawled  away,  beaten  and  humiliated,  but  in 
his  eye  there  was  a  dangerous  light  that 
boded  no  good  to  the  captain. 


CHAPTER  XXXIV. 
me.  Clinton's  terrible  adventure. 

MONTGOMERY  CLINTON,  having,  like 
most  of  his  companions,  very  little  to 
occupy  his  mind,  got  into  the  habit  of  taking 
long  walks  about  the  island.  He  had  got 
over  his  fear  of  a  possible  encounter  with 
savages,  having  made  up  his  mind  that  the 
island  was  uninhabited  save  by  the  ship- 
wrecked sailors  and  passengers  of  the  Nan- 
tucket. Though  he  was  not  likely  to  meet 
anyone,  habit  was  strong  upon  him,  and  he 
attired  himself  as  carefully  for  these  expedi- 
tions as  if  he  were  about  to  visit  Prospect 
Park  on  a  Sunday  afternoon,  or  take  a  stroll 
down  Fulton  Street,  in  his  native  Brooklyn. 
Mr.  Clinton  was  not  fond  of  solitude.  He 
felt  that  it  was  a  pity  no  one  was  privileged 
to  see  him  in  all  the  splendor  of  his  apparel. 
But    he  could  always  admire    himself.     By 


294  FACING   THE   WORLD. 

some  strange  oversight,  not  a  mirror,  not 
even  a  hand-glass,  had  been  brought  on  shore, 
and  his  only  chance  to  survey  himself  was  to 
gaze  into  the  depths  of  some  pellucid  pool,  and 
admire  the  slender  figure  and  attenuated 
limbs  which  qualified  him  for  his  crowning 
distinction  as  a  modern  dude. 

About  two  miles  from  the  camp,  not  far 
from  the  shore,  was  a  small  pond  or  pool 
which  he  used  for  a  mirror.  His  reason  for 
going  alone  was  that  he  could  not  have  in- 
dulged otherwise,  without  ridicule,  in  his  fa- 
vorite amusement  of  admiring  his  own  form 
and  figure. 

One  warm  day,  he  fell  asleep  a  few  rods 
from  the  pond.  His  walk,  together  with  the 
heat,  had  made  him  drowsy,  and  pillowing 
his  head  on  a  clump  of  earth,  he  enjoyed 
a  refreshing  slumber.  At  length  he  had  a 
dream  that  terrified  him.  It  seemed  to  him 
that  he  was  in  the  region  beyond  the  Missouri, 
in  the  heart  of  the  forests,  surrounded  by  a 
pack  of  American  Indians,  who,  armed  with 
bows  and  spears,  were  executing  a  war  dance 
about  him,  preparatory  to  inflicting  cruel  tor- 


w 


> 


mr.  Clinton's  terrible  adventure.   295 

tures  upon  him.  Poor  Clinton's  brow  was 
covered  with  beads  of  cold  perspiration  in 
spite  of  the  heat,  and  his  mental  agitation  was 
such  that  the  chains  of  slumber  were  loosened, 
and  he  woke  up.  But  his  awakening  did  not 
release  him  from  the  thraldom  of  terror.  As 
from  his  lowly  pillow  he  looked  upward,  he 
saw  a  brown  face  scanning  him  with  curiosity. 
It  was  only  one  of  half  a  dozen  Polynesian 
savages,  scantily  clothed,  as  is  the  custom  of 
their  race,  who  were  gathered  in  a  circle  about 
him. 

Clinton  at  first  thought  that  it  was  only 
a  continuation  of  his  dream,  but  a  hurried 
glance  at  the  familiar  surroundings  satisfied 
him  that  he  was  broad  awake,  and  that  these 
were  creatures  of  real  flesh  and  blood. 

The  poor  fellow's  heart  sank  within  him. 
They  might  be  cannibals,  he  thought,  about 
to  kill  him  to  satisfy  their  degraded  appetite. 
He  was  neither  brave  nor  bold,  but  even  if  he 
had  been,  he  was  but  one  against  six.  What 
could  he  do?  If  only  he  could  propitiate 
them  by  gentle  and  conciliatory  speech,  he 
might  yet  save  his  life. 


296  FACING  THE  WORLD. 

He  gathered  himself  up,  and  with  blanched 
face  and  troubled  look  returned  the  steadfast 
gaze  of  the  strangers.  When  he  rose,  they 
moved  back  a  step,  and  surveyed  him  doubt- 
fully, as  if  uncertain  of  his  intentions. 

"Gentlemen,"  said  Clinton,  in  a  tremulous 
tone,  "I  hope  you  will  excuse  me  for  intrud- 
ing upon  your  domains.  'Pon  my  word,  I 
didn't  know  you  lived  here.  I'm  awfully 
sorry,  don't  you  know?" 

The  savages  looked  at  each  other  in  bewil- 
derment. They  heard  the  words,  but  they 
were  as  unintelligible  to  them  as  Greek  would 
have  been  to  Clinton.  The  object  before  them 
evidently  aroused  their  curiosity.  The  thin 
figure  and  attenuated  limbs  of  the  white 
stranger,  with  the  striped  trousers  fitting 
closely  to  the  skin  which  they  covered, 
seemed  to  them  very  singular.  They  were 
evidently  not  quite  clear  in  mind  whether 
Clinton  was  not  curiously  tattooed,  for  one  of 
them  bent  down  and  passed  his  brown  hands 
over  the  trousers.  Then  he  turned,  and  spoke 
in  a  soft  gibberish  to  his  companions,  as  if  to 
inform  them  of  the  discovery  they  had  made. 


me.  Clinton's  terrible  adventure.   297 

Poor  Clinton  trembled  when  this  examina- 
tion was  going  on.  He  did  not  know  what  it 
portended.  Then  another  of  the  savages  came 
forward  and  gratified  his  curiosity  in  the  same 
way.  Then  he  put  his  hand  upon  his  own  leg, 
and  spoke  to  the  others,  no  doubt  calling 
attention  to  the  difference  between  them. 

"They  are  admiring  my  trousers,"  thought 
Clinton,  and  in  spite  of  his  fears  he  felt  a 
certain  gratification  in  feeling  that  he  was 
once  more  appreciated,,  though  it  were  only 
by  these  untutored  savages. 

But  great  was  his  dismay  when  they  made 
signs  for  him  to  remove  his  trousers,  in  order 
that  they  might  the  better  form  an  opinion 
as  to  this  unknown  covering. 

"I  really  hope  you'll  excuse  me,  gentle- 
men," he  said,  with  trepidation.  "I  really 
couldn't  spare  them,  don't  you  know?" 

Of  course,  they  did  not  understand  him, 
but  they  saw  that  he  was  making  objections, 
and  one  of  them  made  a  threatening  gesture 
that  brought  Clinton  to  terms. 

In  anguish  of  heart,  he  proceeded  to  divest 
himself  of  his  pantaloons.     One  of  the  sav- 


298  FACING  THE   WORLD. 

ages  took  them,  and  they  were  passed  from 
one  to  another,  and  attentively  examined. 

"  I  hope  they'll  give  them  back  to  me," 
thought  Clinton  anxiously. 

Finally  one  of  the  party  undertook  to  draw 
them  over  his  own  limbs,  which  were  quite 
double  the  size  of  the  unhappy  dude's,  which 
they  closely  fitted. 

''You'll  tear  them,  my  good  friend,"  he 
said  in  alarm.  "They're  much  too  small 
for  you,  don't  you  know?" 

Naturally  the  savage  took  no  notice  of  the 
remonstrance,  and  proceeded  with  his  experi- 
ment. The  natural  result  followed.  In  at- 
tempting to  thrust  his  sturdy  limbs  into  the 
dude-like  legs,  the  trousers  burst  at  the  side, 
and  after  a  hard  struggle  the  gentleman  from 
the  South  Seas  was  obliged  to  give  it  up. 

He  shook  his  head  with  an  expression  of 
disgust,  and  threw  the  trousers  upon  the 
ground. 

Clinton  picked  them  up,  and  with  mental 
anguish  surveyed  the  irreparable  damage 
which  had  been  done  to  his  choicest  trousers, 
the  pride  of  his  wardrobe.     He  put  them  on, 


mr.  Clinton's  terrible  adventure.   299 

but  they  hung  limp  and  tattered  to  his  limbs. 
Their  glory  and  beauty  had  departed. 

"What  will  they  do  next?"  the  unhappy 
Clinton  asked  himself. 

He  did  not  need  to  wait  long  for  an  answer 
to  his  question. 

The  first  savage  espied  his  hat,  a  choice 
one  bought  from  Knox,  and  unceremoniously 
snatching  it  from  his  head,  put  it  on  his  own. 

His  companions  seemed  amused,  and  laughed 
in  their  way  at  the  perpetrator  of  this  high- 
handed outrage,  as  he  strutted  about  with  Mr. 
Clinton's  fashionable  hat. 

"Please  give  it  back  to  me,  most  noble 
savage,"  pleaded  Clinton,  in  piteous  accents 
of  genuine  alarm,  for  although  he  had  re- 
covered from  the  wreck  six  pairs  of  trousers, 
he  had  but  one  hat,  and  if  that  was  lost,  he 
would  be  obliged  to  go  about  without  any 
head  covering. 

His  first  fears  had  departed.  The  strange 
visitors  seemed  too  gentle  to  be  cannibals. 
But  even  were  it  otherwise  the  Brooklyn  dude 
would  have  made  very  poor  pickings  for  any 
cannibal  with  a  hearty  appetite.     Montgomery 


300  FACING  THE   WORLD. 

Clinton,  though  of  average  height,  weighed 
but  102  pounds  when  completely  dressed,  and 
would  have  required   a  long  time  to  fatten. 

The  poor  fellow's  trials,  however,  were  near 
an  end.  All  at  once  a  party  of  sailors  burst 
out  of  a  leafy  covert,  and  began  to  run  to  the 
spot.  Immediately  the  savages  took  to  their 
heels  and  ran  swiftly  to  the  sea,  where  a 
couple  of  canoes  were  awaiting  them.  The 
sailors  followed  in  pursuit,  but  did  not  suc- 
ceed in  overtaking  them.  Into  the  canoe  they 
jumped,  and  began  to  paddle  away.  But,  alas  ! 
Clinton's  hat  went  with  them.  The  new 
wearer  of  the  hat  forgot  to  return  it,  and  pre- 
sented a  curious  spectacle  as  he  sat  in  the 
canoe  in  his  scant  attire,  with  a  fashionable 
Broadway  hat  on  his  head. 

"  What  did  they  do  to  you,  Mr.  Clinton  ?  " 
asked  a  sailor. 

"  See  here  !  "  said  Clinton,  pointing  mourn- 
fully to  his  ruined  trousers. 

But  the  sailors  only  laughed,  and  made  light 
of  what  to  Clinton  was  a  serious  trouble. 

"  And  they've  got  my  hat,  too  !  "  said  Clin- 
ton sadly. 


mr.  Clinton's  terrible  adventure.   301 

"Take  mine,  my  hearty,"  said  a  sailor, 
clapping  his  own  tarpaulin  on  Clinton's  head. 
"  I  don't  need  any,  not  bein'  delicate,  or 
afraid  of  bein'  tanned." 

Clinton  was  about  to  decline,  but  finally 
accepted,  feeling  a  headache  coming  on  from 
the  powerful  rays  of  the  sun,  and  henceforth 
his  dude-like  appearance  was  marred  by  the 
incongruity  between  the  hat  and  the  rest  of 
his  attire. 


CHAPTER  XXXV. 

A   TRAGICAL   END. 

WHILE  Clinton  was  undergoing  persecu- 
tion from  the  unappreciative  natives, 
a  different  and  much  more  tragical  scene  was 
being  enacted  at  a  different  part  of  the 
island. 

Captain  Hill,  from  his  unfortunate  tempera- 
ment, was  on  cordial  terms  with  none  of  his 
shipwrecked  companions.  The  sailors  indeed 
yielded  him  a  certain  outward  respect  on 
account  of  the  position  he  had  held  on  ship- 
board, but  when  he  tried  to  exercise  an  equal 
authority  on  the  island  they  were  stubborn, 
and  declined  to  obey  him.  Now  the  captain 
was  inclined  to  be  a  despot,  and  naturally 
liked  to  domineer.  This  disposition  on  the 
part  of  his  former  subordinates  annoyed  him 
exceedingly,  yet  he  was  obliged  to  submit  to 
it.     Had  he  been  pleasant  and  reasonable  like 


A   TRAGICAL   END.  303 

the  mate,  he  would  have  found  no  difficulty 
in  maintaining  his  ascendancy,  and  the  sailors 
would  have  yielded  him  a  willing  obedience. 
He  would  have  found  pleasure  also  in  the 
society  of  the  passengers.  As  it  was,  all 
avoided  him,  and  he  was  forced  to  depend 
upon  his  own  thoughts,  not  altogether  agree- 
able, for  companionship. 

Usually,  soon  after  breakfast  he  set  out  on  a 
long  and  aimless  walk,  which  occupied  him 
all  day.  Where  he  went,  or  how  he  occupied 
himself,  none  knew,  for  no  one  took  the 
trouble  to  follow  him,  with  one  exception. 

If  Captain  Hill  had  been  a  prudent  man,  he 
would  have  noticed  that,  while  no  one  was 
friendly  to  him,  one  man  among  the  small 
company  hated  him.  This  was  Francesco,  the 
Italian  sailor  whom  he  had  brutally  beaten 
when  he  discovered  him  in  the  act  of  purloin- 
ing his  brandy.  Others,  however,  noticed  the 
glances  of  hatred  with  which  the  swarthy- 
faced  Italian  regarded  his  former  commander. 
One  day  Mr.  Holdfast  thought  it  right  to  call 
it  to  the  attention  of  the  captain. 

"Captain  Hill,"  he  said,   "I  think  it  only 


304  FACING  THE  WORLD. 

right  to  tell  you  that  there  is  a  man  in  your, 
camp  who  may  do  you  a  mischief." 

"What  do  you  mean?"  demanded  the 
captain  haughtily,  drawing  himself  up. 

"I  mean  that  Francesco,  the  Italian  sailor, 
evidently  hates  you,  and  is  quite  capable  of 
doing  you  harm." 

"That — pygmy!"  said  the  captain  disdain- 
fully ;  "why,  he  is  only  a  boy  in  stature,  and 
I  could  manage  half  a  dozen  like  him." 

"  True,  if  you  had  fair  warning,  but  he  is 
treacherous — he  will  take  you  at  advan- 
tage." 

Captain  Hill  laughed  scornfully. 

"I  am  not  an  old  man,  Mr.  Holdfast,"  he 
said,  "to  be  frightened  at  trifles.  The  fel- 
low is  welcome  to  hate  me.  I  would  as 
soon  apprehend  danger  from  a  five-pound 
puppy." 

"No  enemy  is  unworthy  of  notice,"  said 
the  mate  sententiously. 

Captain  Hill  made  a  gesture  of  impatience, 
and  walked  away. 

Holdfast  shook  his  head  in  disapproval. 

"  Heaven  grant  his  confidence  be  not  mis- 


A  TRAGICAL  END.  305 

placed  !  "  he  said  to  himself.  "  I  am  no  cow- 
ard, but  if  Francesco  looked  after  me  with 
such  murderous  glances  as  those  with  which 
he  regards  the  captain,  I  should  feel  nervous 
and  try  to  placate  him." 

No  one  is  in  so  much  danger  as  the  man 
who  is  over-confident.  Captain  Hill  did  not 
allow  the  warning  he  had  received  to  make 
him  more  prudent.  Indeed  it  did  harm,  for 
he  picked  out  Francesco  as  a  fit  subject  for 
further  ill-treatment,  and  on  more  than  one 
occasion  kicked  and  cuffed  him.  The  Italian 
made  no  open  resistance,  but  slunk  away, 
while  the  captain  followed  him  with  a  derisive 
smile. 

' '  So  that  is  the  man  I  am  to  be  afraid  of, 
according  to  Holdfast,"  he  muttered.  "Well, 
I  propose  to  make  it  unpleasant  for  him." 

Presently  Francesco  began  to  absent  him- 
self. Where  he  went  no  one  knew  or  cared, 
but  he  too  would  be  away  all  day.  His  small 
black  eyes  glowed  with  smouldering  fires  of 
hatred  whenever  he  looked  at  the  captain,  but 
his  looks  were  always  furtive,  and  so  for  the 
most  part  escaped  observation. 

20 


306  FACING  THE  WOKLD. 

One  day  Captain  Hill  stood  in  contempla- 
tion on  the  edge  of  a  precipitous  bluff,  look- 
ing seaward.  His  hands  were  folded,  and  he 
looked  thoughtful.  His  back  was  turned,  so 
he  could  not  therefore  see  a  figure  stealthily 
approaching,  the  face  distorted  by  murderous 
hate,  the  hand  holding  a  long  slender  knife. 
Fate  was  approaching  him  in  the  person  of  a 
deadly  enemy.  He  did  not  know  that  day  by 
day  Francesco  had  dogged  his  steps,  watch- 
ing for  the  opportunity  which  at  last  had 
come. 

So  stealthy  was  the  pace,  and  so  silent  the 
approach  of  the  foe,  that  the  captain  believed 
himself  wholly  alone  till  he  felt  a  sharp  lunge, 
as  the  stiletto  entered  his  back  between  his 
shoulders.  He  staggered,  but  turned  sud- 
denly, all  his  senses  now  on  the  alert,  and 
discovered  who  had  assailed  him. 

"Ha!  it  is  you!"  he  exclaimed  wrath- 
ful ly,  seizing  the  Italian  by  the  throat. 
"Dog,  what  would  you  do?" 

"Kill  you!"  hissed  the  Italian,  and  with 
the  remnant  of  his  strength  he  thrust  the 
knife  farther  into  his  enemy's  body. 


A   TRAGICAL   END.  307 

The  captain  turned  white,  and  he  staggered, 
still  standing  on  the  brink  of  the  precipice. 

Perceiving  it,  and  not  thinking  of  his  own 
danger,  Francesco  gave  him  a  push,  and 
losing  his  balance  the  captain  fell  over  the 
edge,  a  distance  of  sixty  feet,  upon  the  jagged 
rocks  beneath.  But  not  alone  !  Still  retain- 
ing his  fierce  clutch  upon  the  Italian's  throat, 
the  murderer  too  fell  with  him,  and  both 
were  stretched  in  an  instant,  mangled  and 
lifeless,  at  the  bottom  of  the  precipice. 
Whether  either  had  a  gleam  of  consciousness 
after  the  terrible  fall  could  not  be  told.  They 
passed  out  of  life  together. 

When  night  came  and  neither  returned  it  was 
thought  singular,  but  the  night  was  dark  and 
they  were  unprovided  with  lanterns,  so  that 
the  search  was  postponed  till  morning.  It 
was  only  after  a  search  of  several  hours  that 
the  two  were  found,  the  captain  even  in  death 
retaining  his  hold  upon  his  swarthy  foe,  while 
the  faces  of  both  showed  them  under  the  in- 
fluence of  passion. 

"He  would  have  been  alive  to-day  if  he 
had   heeded  my  warning!"   said  the  mate. 


308  FACING  THE   WORLD. 

"  I  told  him  tliat  no  enemy  was  unworthy  of 
notice." 

There  was  little  mourning  for  either.  Fran- 
cesco had  never  been  a  favorite  with  the  other 
sailors,  though  they  sympathized  with  him 
against  the  captain,  whose  brutal  treatment 
was  without  adequate  excuse. 


CHAPTER   XXXVI. 

CONCLUSION. 

AFTER  the  captain's  death  two  distinct 
XA-  camps  were  still  maintained,  but  the 
most  cordial  relations  existed  between  them. 
At  the  suggestion  of  the  mate  an  inventory 
was  made  of  the  stock  of  provisions,  and  to 
each  camp  was  assigned  an  amount  pro- 
portioned to  the  number  of  men  which  it 
contained. 

There  was  no  immediate  prospect  of  want. 
Still  the  more  prudent  regarded  with  anxiety 
the  steady  diminution  of  the  stock  remaining, 
and  an  attempt  was  made  to  eke  them  out 
by  fresh  fish  caught  off  the  island.  But  the 
inevitable  day  was  only  postponed.  At  length 
only  a  week's  provisions  remained.  The  con- 
dition was  becoming  serious. 

"  What  shall  we  do  ?  "  was  the  question  put 
to  Mr.  Holdfast,  who  was  now  looked  upon  by 
all  as  their  leader  and  chief. 

309 


310  FACING  THE   WORLD. 

Upon  this  the  mate  called  a  general  meeting 
of  all  upon  the  island,  sailors  and  passengers 
alike. 

"My  friends,"  he  said,  "it  is  useless  to 
conceal  our  situation.  We  are  nearly  out  of 
provisions,  and  though  we  may  manage  to 
subsist  upon  the  fish  we  catch,  and  other 
esculents  native  to  this  spot,  it  will  be  a  daily 
fight  against  starvation.  I  have  been  asked 
what  we  are  to  do.  I  prefer  rather  to  call  for 
suggestions  from  you." 

"How  near  is  the  nearest  land,  in  your 
opinion,  Mr.  Holdfast?"  asked  Mr.  Stubbs. 

"  Probably  it  is  at  least  a  thousand  miles  to 
the  continent,  meaning  the  continent  of  Asia. 
No  doubt  there  are  islands  much  nearer." 

"We  are  on  an  island  now,  and  probably 
we  should  not  improve  our  condition  by  seek- 
ing another." 

"  We  might  make  it  worse  if  we  reached  an 
island  inhabited  by  warlike  savages.  Upon 
that  point  I  can  give  you  no  information. 
This  is  my  first  voyage  to  this  part  of  the 
world." 

"  In  my  view  there  are  two  courses  open  to 


CONCLUSION.  311 

us,"  said  Mr.  Stubbs,  finding  that  no  one  else 
appeared  to  have  anything  to  propose.  "  We 
may  remain  here  and  eat  up  the  rest  of  our 
provisions,  but  there  seems  very  little  chance 
of  our  attracting  the  attention  of  any  passing 
vessel.  We  appear  to  be  out  of  the  ordinary 
course.  Of  course  it  is  possible  that  some 
ship  may  have  passed  the  island  without 
attracting  our  notice.  What  is  your  opinion, 
Mr.  Holdfast?" 

"The  flag  of  the  Nantucket,  as  you  all 
know,  has  floated  night  and  day  from  a  pole 
erected  on  a  high  bluff,"  said  the  mate. 
"  The  chances  are  that  if  any  vessel  had  come 
sufficiently  near  it  would  have  attracted  obser- 
vation, and  led  to  a  boat  being  lowered,  and 
an  exploring  party  sent  hither." 

"Precisely.  It  looks,  therefore,  as  if  we 
were  out  of  the  general  course  of  vessels." 

Here  the  boatswain,  Harrison,  spoke  up. 

"I  agree  with  Mr.  Stubbs,"  said  he,  "  and 
I  say  there's  only  one  thing  to  do." 

"Go  on,  sir,"  said  Stubbs. 

"  While  we've  got  any  provisions  left," 
continued  the    boatswain,    "let  us  take  the 


312  FACING  THE   WORLD. 

boats,  and  put  out  to  sea.  We  can  go  where 
the  ships  are,  and  then  we'll  have  some 
chance.  They'll  never  find  us  here  ;  least- 
ways, such  is  my  opinion." 

There  was  a  murmur  of  assent  from  the 
sailors,  who  clearly  agreed  with  the  boat- 
swain. 

"Ay,  ay,  let  us  take  to  the  boats!"  they 
said. 

"Mr.  Harrison  expresses  my  sentiments," 
said  Stubbs,  with  a  bow.  "  His  proposal  is 
identical  with  the  one  I  intended  to  make." 

"My  friends,"  said  the  mate,  "you  have 
heard  the  proposal  made  by  the  boatswain, 
and  endorsed  by  Mr.  Stubbs.  All  who  are 
in  favor  of  it  will  please  raise  their  right 
hands." 

All  voted  in  the  affirmative  with  the  excep- 
tion of  Montgomery  Clinton. 

"Don't  you  think  the  plan  a  good  one,  Mr. 
Clinton  ?  "  asked  Harry. 

"It's  so  horrid  being  out  in  a  small  boat, 
don't  you  know?"  responded  Clinton.  "It's 
much  nicer  on  the  island." 

"But  it  would  not  be  very  nice  staying 


CONCLUSION.  313 

here  all  onr  lives,"  said  Harry.  "  Still  we  can 
leave  you  here,  if  you  prefer  it." 

"Oh,  no!"  said  Clinton  hastily.  "I  might 
meet  some  of  those  horrid  natives,  don't  you 
know  ?    I'll  go  if  the  rest  go." 

"My  friends,"  said  Mr.  Holdfast,  "it  seems 
to  be  the  unanimous  sentiment  that  we  leave 
the  island,  and  sail  out  far  enough  to  be  in  the 
course  of  passing  vessels.  I  concur  in  the 
expediency  of  this  step,  and  am  ready  to  com- 
mand one  of  the  boats." 

"Mr.  Clinton  will  command  the  other,"  said 
Harry. 

There  was  a  general  laugh,  which  reassured 
poor  Clinton,  who  had  taken  Harry's  proposal 
in  earnest  and  was  about  to  excuse  himself  in 
alarm. 

"Mr.  Harrison  will  command  the  other," 
continued  the  mate. 

"When  shall  we  start?"  asked  a  pas- 
senger. 

"The  sooner  the  better.  To-morrow  morn- 
ing, if  it  is  pleasant." 

This  decision  pleased  all.  Something  was 
to  be  done,   and  hope  was  rekindled  in  the 


314  FACING  THE  WORLD. 

breasts  of  all.  Heretofore  they  had  been  liv- 
ing on,  without  hope  or  prospect  of  release. 
Now  they  were  to  set  out  boldly,  and  though 
there  was  the  possibility  of  failure,  there  was 
also  a  chance  of  deliverance. 

No  sooner  was  the  decision  made  than  all 
hands  went  to  work  to  prepare  for  embarking. 
Mr.  Clinton,  even,  volunteered  his  assistance, 
but  he  proved  so  unhandy,  and  got  so  mixed 
in  attempting  to  follow  directions,  that  Mr. 
Holdfast  gravely  excused  him  from  personal 
labor,  and  asked  him  to  superintend  the 
others.  This  gave  Mr.  Clinton  an  idea  that 
he  was  of  great  service,  although  his  orders 
received  no  attention.  He  was  very  much 
disturbed  because  the  mate  would  not  agree 
to  carry  his  trunk  in  the  boat,  but  restricted 
him  to  the  clothes  he  had  on. 

"What  will  become  of  my  trousers?"  he 
asked  pathetically. 

"  The  next  party  of  natives  landing  on  the 
island  will  probably  find  them  very  conven- 
ient," said  the  mate  with  a  twinkle  in  his 
eye. 

"I  couldn't  bear  to  think  of  their  wearing 


CONCLUSION.  315 

them,"  responded  Clinton  mournfully.  "May 
I  take  one  pair  under  my  arm  ? " 

This  favor  was  finally  accorded  to  the 
young  man,  and  his  grief  was  somewhat 
mitigated. 

In  the  apportionment  of  passengers,  Mr. 
Holdfast,  who  commanded  the  long-boat,  re- 
tained Harry,  the  professor,  and  Clinton, 
Six  sailors,  including  Jack  Pendleton,  made 
up  the  complement. 

"I  am  glad  you  are  going  to  be  with  us, 
Jack,"  said  Harry  joyfully.  "I  shouldn't 
like  to  be  separated  from  you." 

"Nor  I  from  you,  Harry,"  returned  Jack, 
with  a  look  of  affection,  for  he  had  grown  very 
much  attached  to  our  hero. 

"  I  don't  know  what  fate  is  in  store  for  us," 
continued  Harry,  "  but  at  any  rate  we  shall  be 
together." 

At  eight  o'clock  the  next  morning  they 
started.  As  the  island  faded  in  the  distance, 
all  looked  back  thoughtfully  at  their  some- 
time home. 

"Shall  we  ever  see  it  again,  Jack,  I  won- 
der? "  said  Harry. 


316  FACING   THE   WORLD. 

"I  hope  not,"  answered  Jack,  "except 
from  the  deck  of  a  good  ship." 

"I  have  passed  some  happy  days  there. 
It  isn't  so  bad  a  place,  after  all." 

"  But  I  like  a  ship's  deck  better." 

"Because  you  are  fond  of  the  sea.  You 
will  be  a  captain  sometime,  Jack." 

"I  hope  so,"  answered  the  young  sailor, 
with  glowing  face. 

"How  would  you  like  to  be  a  sailor,  Mr. 
Clinton?"  asked  Harry  mischievously. 

"It's  a  horrid  business,"  said  Clinton, 
shuddering.     "The  sea  is  very  nasty.     Oh!" 

"What's  the  matter?" 

"  Some  nasty  sea- water  was  splashed  on  my 
trousers.  You  sailor  men,  please  row  more 
carefully." 

The  sailors  only  laughed,  and  five  minutes 
later  poor  Clinton  suffered  again  in  the  same 
way,  whether  by  accident  or  design,  I  am  not 
sure. 

Three  days  the  two  boats  floated  about  on 
the  bosom  of  the  ocean — three  days  and 
nights  of  anxiety,  during  which  no  sail  was 
visible.     But  at  length  a  ship  was  sighted. 


CONCLUSION.  317 

"All  of  you  wave  your  handkerchiefs!" 
said  the  mate.  "In  one  way  or  another  we 
must  try  to  attract  attention." 

"  Wave  your  trousers,  Clinton,"  said 
Harry. 

"I  can't,  don't  you  know,"  said  Clinton, 
bewildered. 

Not  to  protract  the  reader's  suspense,  let 
me  say  that  by  great  good  fortune  the  mate 
of  the  approaching  ship,  in  sweeping  the 
ocean  with  his  glass,  caught  sight  of  the  two 
boats,  and  changed  the  course  of  the  vessel  so 
as  to  fall  in  with  them. 

"  Who  are  you  ? "  he  hailed. 

"Shipwrecked  sailors  and  passengers  of 
the  ship  Nantucket,"  was  the  answer  of  Mr. 
Holdfast. 

They  were  taken  on  board,  and  discovered 
that  the  vessel  was  the  Phocis,  from  New 
York  bound  for  Melbourne. 

"  We  shall  reach  our  destination  after  all, 
then,  professor,"  said  Harry,  "and  you  will 
be  able  to  give  your  entertainments  as  you 
proposed." 

Professor     Hemenway    shook     his     head. 


318  FACING   THE   WORLD. 

"I  shall  take  the  first  steamer  home,"  he 
said.  "My  wife  will  be  anxious  about  me, 
and  even  now  is  in  doubt  whether  I  am  alive 
or  dead.  You  can  return  with  me  if  you 
like." 

"No,"  answered  Harry.  "After  all  the 
trouble  I  have  had  in  getting  to  Australia,  I 
mean  to  stay  long  enough  to  see  what  sort  of 
a  country  it  is.  I  think  I  can  make  a  living 
in  one  way  or  another,  and  if  I  can't  I  will 
send  to  America  for  the  money  I  have  there." 

In  due  time  they  reached  Melbourne,  with- 
out further  mischance.  Harry  induced  Jack 
to  remain  with  him,  but  Mr.  Clinton,  with 
a  new  stock  of  trousers,  purchased  in  Mel- 
bourne, returned  to  America  on  the  same 
steamer  with  the  professor.  What  befell  the 
two  boys,  in  whom  I  hope  my  readers  have 
become  interested,  will  be  told  in  a  new  story, 
entitled,  "In  a  New  World;  or,  Harry 
Vane  in  Australia." 


.    -:-; 


ill 


•■.;;.!  if:   ;;:k;:    '     i!;i 


